Man Rescued at Atkisson Dam, Cited for Trespassing

Fire companies from Baltimore and Howard counties converged at the Atkisson Dam Wednesday morning to rescue a man suspended on a rope. 

The man was tangled in a rope on the spill side of the dam, located in the 1900 block of Atkisson Road in Joppa, at approximately 6:56 a.m., Joppa-Magnolia Fire Company reported.

Crews joined forces to rescue the man, who was taken to a local hospital, according officials from Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), who said he was alert and responsive.

The dam is located on federal property and has signs stating "No Trespassing." As a result, the man was issued a citation for trespassing, APG reported.

Although it is not on the grounds of APG, the dam was built during World War II to provide a reservoir of water for the proving ground. It was never used for that purpose, APG said.

The reservoir and dam are part of Winters Run, a tributary of Otter Point Creek that flows to the Bush River, which connects with the Chesapeake Bay, APG said.

The dam is located off Singer Road in Joppa. During the rescue, Singer Road was blocked between Montrose Way and Clayton Road, and fire companies used the Abingdon Elementary School parking lot for staging during the incident, Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company reported.

Roads opened at approximately 8 a.m., and Joppa-Magnolia said the man was being treated for exposure to the cold.

Responding units included Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company, technical rescue assets from the Aberdeen Proving Ground Fire Department, Abingdon Fire Company, Darlington Volunteer Fire Company, Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company, Susquehanna Hose Company and Baltimore County Fire Department.