Icy fall on freezing night: NJ rescuers find 80-year-old man thanks to AirTag

🚨 An 80-year-old man missing overnight in Hoboken was located by his Apple AirTag

🚨The man had fallen 25 feet down an icy cliff near a light rail station

🚨Firefighters and NJ Transit police rescued him in freezing temperatures

HOBOKEN — An 80-year-old man who fell on an icy embankment along NJ Transit light-rail tracks was found thanks to his Apple AirTags.

NJ Transit police said the man had gone missing on Thursday night and spent several hours in the cold. The tags helped the Hoboken Fire Department find the man after he fell 25 feet down the Palisades cliff near the elevator of the Ninth Street light rail station.

An AirTag sends an encrypted Bluetooth signal that can be detected by the Find My network.

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NJ Transit police, Hoboken firefighters execute high-risk rescue

After the Hudson County Sheriff's Department picked up the ping, firefighters and the NJ Transit Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit hoisted the man more than 40 feet from the ravine. NJ Transit police said the man, whose identity was not disclosed, was too injured to move. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said temperatures were in the 20s in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“Our firefighters showed courage and professionalism, acting quickly to effectuate this rescue in the face of freezing temperatures and icy terrain,” Hoboken Fire Chief Brian Crimmins said in a statement. "I extend my sincere gratitude to NJ Transit PD for their collaboration in this successful rescue.”

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