≤b≥Tragedy averted≤/b≥ -- Eureka Springs Police, Fire and EMT personnel responded quickly at 2 p.m. last Thursday to a report a Eureka Springs High School student had climbed atop the 105-ft. tall water tower at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks and was threatening to jump. Both the student and a friend who climbed to deter him were safely rescued.

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Members of the Eureka Springs police, fire, and EMT departments, aided by Carroll County Special Operations and Rescue Team (SORT), sprang into action last Wednesday to save the life of a distraught Eureka Springs High School junior.

The call comes in

  At 1:39 p.m., police received a call reporting two people climbing the 105-ft. high water tower at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks, across the street from the high school.

  Police officers quickly arrived and verified two Eureka Springs High School students had climbed the tower and were on top.

  The police were able to learn from other students that one of the people on the tower was distraught and the other student had climbed up to prevent him from hurting himself.

  At 1:45, officers on the scene requested the assistance of the fire department. When fire department personnel arrived less than five minutes later, ESFD Captain Billy Summers donned climbing safety equipment and scaled the tower to evaluate the situation and attempt to calm the distraught student.

SORT involved

  Holiday Island Fire Chief Jack Deaton also responded with additional climbing safety equipment and his expertise with rope rescue operations.

  Deaton is also the commander of the Carroll County SORT team.

  Firefighter Cody Harp strapped on climbing gear and joined Summers atop the tower. A decision was made to expedite the safe removal of the students because of the chance of pop-up thunder storms.

Youth cooperated

  The distraught climber agreed to be placed in a safety harness and tethered to Summers. Both were attached to a safety rope which was fed through a pulley and lowering equipment and belayed to a fire truck manned by fire and police personnel.

  Both Summers and the distraught youth climbed safely to the ground where the youth's anxious parents waited.

  The boy, accompanied by his parents, was taken to a medical professional for an examination.

  Summers then returned to the top of the tower where the second boy was secured in a safety harness and tethered to Summers for the descent.

  School Superintendent Wayne Carr, School Counselor George Sigler and High School Shop Teacher Larry Wicker were on-site throughout the ordeal to provide rescue personnel with background information and help calm the boy's parents.

  Because of a rapid and coordinated response, emergency personnel were able to escort both boys safely to the ground in an hour and a half.

Mayor praises rescue work

  Eureka Springs Mayor Dani Joy, who was on the scene during the rescue, said in a press release, "Our police officers and firefighters are to be commended for the extremely professional way that the rescue was executed. I also want to commend Police Chief Earl Hyatt, Assistant Fire Chief Jimmy Kelly and Holiday Island Fire Chief Jack Deaton for their leadership in the rescue.

  "It was amazing to witness the bravery shown by firefighter Cody Harp and Capt. Billy Summers in scaling the tower to rescue the juveniles.

  "Our police and fire professionals go through extensive training just for situations like this, and even though we hope there would never be a need to use that training, I am extremely proud that the city is prepared to deal with any circumstance."