20 year-old woman rescued after fall from cliff in Palmer

THREE RIVERS, Mass. (WWLP) - Rescue crews in Palmer have saved a woman who fell off a cliff in the Three Rivers section of town.

Palmer Police Chief Robert Frydryk told 22News that 20 year-old Danielle Sterns of Palmer had been missing for the last two days. Following her rescue around midday Tuesday, she was taken to Baystate Medical Center to be treated for a broken arm and a broken leg- injuries that Frydryk said could have been deadly if she remained alone off the rock ledge for a longer period of time.

Sterns was found by police Tuesday morning in the rocky area off Barker Street near the Chicopee River. Police had searched the area on a tip from a friend of the woman, who said she was known to go there to "get away from things." Sterns had, in fact, brought her backpack and sleeping bag with her, police discovered.

Lt. John Janulewicz was one of the two police officers to discover Sterns. "After summoning more help, we made our way down the riverbank, the ledge, and we stabilized her. She was conscious, talking" Janulewicz said. "One of our major concerns was that she was going to fall down even more, because the footing wasn't too stable in that area."

The rock ledge is about 20 feet high, and Sterns was found about 35 feet from the rock ledge; about halfway between the cliff and the Chicopee River.

The rescuers used ropes to bring Sterns up to safety. "It was a vertical rescue that they did," Frydryk said. "It was very impressive. They had to use ropes and had to bring her up on a stretcher."

Frydryk said that Sterns had fallen from the ledge around 11:00 Monday night.