GLEN ECHO FIRE CHIEF’S CITATION PRESENTED TO SYCAMORE ISLAND CLUB CARETAKER “TOWPATH JOE” HAGE

On September 12, 2021, recently retired Sycamore Island Club caretaker Joe Hage was presented the Glen Echo Fire Chief’s Citation recognizing his contributions to an August 1, 2021 rescue operation. A woman was seriously injured while hiking on a trail along the Potomac River in Virginia. The ruggedness and remoteness of the rescue scene prevented Fairfax County from evacuating the patient by land; low water precluded access from Virginia boat ramps; and a helicopter with hoist capability was unavailable. Fairfax County turned to its Maryland partners which had slightly better river access in low-water conditions. The response included swift water teams from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services, Glen Echo Fire Department’s fire-rescue UTV, and advanced life support resources from Cabin John Park Fire Department.

After an unusually challenging river crossing by the swift water boats (which included hand-carrying a boat across the exposed river bottom at some points), the rescue teams were able to evacuate the patient to the Maryland shore near Sycamore Island where she was to be transferred to the Glen Echo UTV. There, the rescue operation was confronted by a final set of challenges. The injured patient would have to be removed from the boat and secured in a rescue basket before lifting her up a wet, slippery riverbank and onto the waiting UTV for transport to an ambulance. Safety was the primary consideration and although the bank was only several feet high, it was raining and the move had the potential to be hazardous.

As the crews prepared for the patient’s arrival on the swiftwater boat, they were weighing the limited options for safely moving her to the UTV. It was not going to be an easy task. At that moment a figure appeared on the Sycamore Island bank. It was Joe Hague, a fixture on the island for nearly two decades and a man who knows that part of the river like the back of his hand. Hage quickly offered his assistance. He moved the Sycamore Island ferry to the Maryland bank where he converted it into an ideal work platform. When the patient’s fractures needed additional stabilization and padding, Hage was there to provide further assistance. He produced several Personal Flotation Devices — an ideal improvised solution. Hage’s actions made the job of patient transfer from the boat into the basket, and up the bank (all in the rain) a much safer and quicker process.

It takes a skilled team of rescuers to safely treat and remove a patient from a remote trail to a trauma facility under the conditions encountered on August 1st. Especially when the patient has to be moved across a river and up a steep bank in the rain. Joe Hage’s knowledge, ingenuity and generous commitment to helping a stranger in need made him an ideal part of the team. His actions enhanced everyone’s safety, and helped ensure a positive outcome.

Glen Echo Fire Department recognizes Joe Hage’s meritorious actions and expresses its gratitude for his assistance.

[Glen Echo Fire Department is staffed by dedicated, trained and credentialed volunteers who last year provided over 25,000 hours of service to our community as fire fighters, EMTs, paramedics, and in related functions. This is made possible by your generous contributions.]