Eastern Greene child rescued from tree

12-year-old Miriam Gilbert being helped out of the tree

Center-Jackson Fire Department came to the rescue for an Eastern Greene family in an unexpected way.

On Nov. 28, 12-year-old Miriam Gilbert, an avid climber, decided to scale a tall pine tree in her family’s backyard following the family’s Thanksgiving meal. According to the child’s mother Sina Gilbert, Miriam’s father discovered she was stuck in the tree about 30 minutes later.

“She likes to climb trees, so she said she was going outside. The next thing we know, she was stuck and we called 911. He knew she was climbing. He just didn’t know how high she had climbed.”

Gilbert said firefighters estimated Miriam had climbed to about 45 feet. When the crew arrived, they did more than just rescue Miriam.

Gilbert explained, “Another firefighter climbed in the tree with her and talked to her to keep her calm while another firefighter put a harness on.”

Rescuers used a rope and pulley system to reach Miriam., with the entire process taking about two hours.

“It was really sweet,” Gilbert added. “The fire department even gave her tips. She got to the point where she had to pull herself up. They told her if you have to stretch to climb up, it’s too high because you can’t get down the same way. They also told her to let a parent know when you are going climbing. They even invited her to do some classes with them.”

Gilbert said the incident hasn’t detoured Miriam from climbing, but she will be sure to be more careful from now on.