New Castle firefighters pull four from icy waters

New Castle firefighters pull four from icy waters

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — One passenger is in critical condition after a van veered off the Columbus Inner Belt here this afternoon, jumping a 20-foot retention wall and landing in Neshannock Creek.

More than a dozen rescuers worked for 25 minutes to lift the four female passengers from the icy waters, said Mark Panella, assistant fire chief for the New Castle Fire Department.

Three adults were treated for exposure at Jameson Memorial Hospital and released. The fourth victim, a girl, suffered a facial cut, Panella said. She was transported by helicopter to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Panella said the fire department received calls for help at about 1:45 p.m. Fortunately, the crash scene was directly across the street from the fire station, Panella said.

“We have a water rescue instructor that was on duty,” he said. “Everything went pretty smoothly.”

No further information about the cause of the crash was available.