By: Richard L. Smith
A missing man is alive after being rescued Friday morning by New Jersey Transit Police, working alongside the Hoboken Fire Department, following a fall down an icy embankment near the Hoboken–Jersey City border.
According to authorities, the man fell more than 40 feet into an icy ravine near Paterson Plank Road, close to the 9th Street light rail station in Jersey City, and was too injured to move.
Hoboken police had been searching for him since the previous day and believe he had been exposed to freezing temperatures for several hours.
At approximately 8:40 a.m., the man’s Apple AirTag began transmitting a location signal in the area of the 9th Street Station, helping first responders narrow down his whereabouts.
Officers from the New Jersey Transit Police Emergency Services Unit then carried out a technical rope rescue, using their vehicle as an anchor and specialized equipment to secure and hoist the man up the embankment.
The rescue was conducted in coordination with the Hoboken Fire Department.
Body-worn camera video shows officers using ropes and a rescue board to safely lift the man from the ravine.
The man was transported to a hospital for treatment of his injuries and is expected to survive, officials said.