A North Carolina will be charged after allegedly staging a fall, according to Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith. The incident began on April 28th at 9:39 PM, when the Patrick County 911 Center received a call from a man identifying himself as Nathaniel Clendenin, who claimed that he had fallen 25 feet off of a ledge. GPS coordinates acquired by the 911 center from the phone call indicated that the call was coming from the Stuart’s Knob area of Fairystone State Park. Sheriffs, Fire and EMS personnel were immediately dispatched to the area. Sheriff’s Lt. Dustin Foley, Senior Deputy Doug Perry, Patrick Emergency Management Coordinator Scottie Cassell and an unnamed ranger with Fairystone Park were able to hike in to the remote area and locate Clendenin.
Smith stated that Clendenin was found on a ledge, and claimed that he was injured and immobile. The first responders atrempted to keep him from falling off of the ledge, which Smith described as being an additional 25 foot fall. Senior Deputy Matt Hodges and Sgt. C.L. Elgin brought rope to assist in further securing Clendenin. “At this point, we have four sheriff’s deputies, a paramedic, and a park ranger on the side of a bluff trying to secure this person who is claiming that he cannot move,” the sheriff said. Cassell called in the Patrick County special operations team, which consists of first responders who are trained in rope rescue. Smith stated that a rescue helicopter was placed on standby in order to air lift the patient once he was raised from the side of the cliff.
Volinteer firefighters Clint Weidhaas, Nate Harris and Austin “Bubba” Errichetti repelled down the side of ledge. Clendenin was secured to a Stokes basket and raised off of the ledge to safety by rescue personnel. Smith stated that the ledge Clendenin and the initial first responders were on was too narrow for him to be extricated by carrying, and the Stokes baskett was the only alternative.
Smith stated that, while being medically assessed, rescue personnel could find no visible injuries on Clendenin, who was transported as a precautionary measure to SOVAH Hopital in Martinsville and subsequently released.
Lt. Foley questioned Clendenin further about the incident. Clendenin allegedly admitted that he had not fallen from 25 feet as he originally reported to the 911 operator. Smith stated that further investigation shows that Clendenin has a history in NC of calling in false 911 calls where he claims to be in need of rescue. Clendenin also claimed that he was a Firefighter with the Guilford County, NC, Fire Department, which the sheriff stated was false. “Valuable resources were wasted, and countless lives were endangered on that night all because of a lie,” Smith stated in a news release. Clendenin is a North Carolina resident.
The investigation is continuing, and multiple charges against Clendenin are forthcoming. Lt. Foley is handling the investigation.
