Hiker Rescued After Falling From Cliff, Getting Caught In Tree At Hook Mountain State Park

UPPER NYACK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- An injured hiker was rescued Monday after he fell from a cliff at Hook Mountain State Park and was entangled in a tree for hours.

The man appeared to have fallen from an upper-level plateau and into a tree on a lower level of the mountainside at around 12:30 p.m., Clarkstown police said.

Emergency responders, including fire crews and police, rushed to the scene. The Rockland County High Angle Rescue Team was able to communicate with the hiker on the ground, but it took them about three hours to remove him from the tree and transport him down the mountain because they were worried about loose rocks, WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini reported.

Time was of the essence because the temperature was dropping and daylight was running out, CBS2's Alice Gainer reported.

Once the rescue board arrived, responders worked for a while to get him on it. One rescuer was seen climbing and then pulling the hiker onto the board with a rope. From there, they brought him to a pickup truck and drove him to an ambulance in the parking lot. The hiker was covered with a gray blanket and jacket after being rescued to keep him warm. He was transported to Nyack Hospital.

The man did not move when being transferred from the truck to the ambulance, but he was able to speak with responders, Gainer reported.

The extent of the man's injuries was not known, but officials said he was being treated for shock throughout the day. He was also complaining of hip and leg injuries, 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported.

The park is located along the Hudson River just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge.