Groundskeeper Rescued from Gorge
By: Tina Shively
Updated: October 4, 2012
Scary moments today at the Bristol Harbor Golf Club.
A groundskeeper on a riding mower fell some 100 feet over an embankment.
The 9-1-1 call came in just after ten Thursday morning when another employee first spotted the lawn mower in the gorge.
Riding that lawnmower was 68-year-old Douglas Preston of Naples.
Preston hadn't been seen on the course for 3 hours.
Rescue crews took less than an hour to bring Preston up to the 15th hole.
Lt. Bill Gallagher of the Ontario County Sheriff's Office said "The fire department does train on this all the time. There are a lot of cliffs here in this area and they were very prepared for this here this morning".
Mercy Flight airlifted Preston to Strong Memorial Hospital, unconscious and with critical injuries.
Neighbors were shocked to see fire trucks and Sheriff's cruisers on their streets.
Deb Huston said "I just pulled in and had no idea what was going on. It's a quiet neighborhood so this is pretty devastating. I hope he's okay."
Firefighters on the scene don't recall ever having to rescue a person from the bottom of the gorge. However, things like golf balls, carts and clubs occasionally make that 100 foot fall.


