UPDATE: Teenager injured at Dorset quarry expected to make full recovery | Local News

DORSET — A teenager who was flown to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Monday following an accident at the Dorset Quarry is expected to make a full recovery.

First, an important fix. Liam Ring of Troy, New York, the young man in question, is actually 18 years old. As the helicopter prepared to take off from the Manchester Public Safety Center, Ring was described as a juvenile by first responders, which the Journal later reported. In Vermont, Ring would not be considered a minor after his eighteenth birthday.

The extent of Ring's fall has also been questioned by commentators on social media. On Friday, Ring's father, Tom, said the initially reported height — based on information provided by responders and individuals at the quarry later that afternoon — “seems correct.” To confirm, the Journal measured the distance in person, which totaled about 17 feet.

Now for the news we all wanted to hear: despite fractures to his sacrum and pelvis, Ring is currently in good condition and expected to make a full recovery. It was initially unclear whether Ring would need surgery, his father said, but it proved unnecessary after additional imaging by specialists.

Ring's injuries were sustained during a dive gone wrong from piled marble near the quarry parking lot. Seven stacked marble cubes stand back from the water, with about nine feet between the third tallest marble cube – where Ring stood – and the ground. Another marble cube lies about eight feet below ground – just below the water's surface – which Ring was unable to free due to a slip.

In a successful attempt to avoid more serious injury, Ring's father says the teen was able to free himself from the marble as he fell, turning his head away from the submerged marble but landing on his lower body.

“He slipped and then came up a little short and did what he could in the air, which wasn't much,” Ring's father said. “As he passed another section of marble, he pushed it with his hands to get out a little further and he still came up a little short. He did enough – he had significant injuries, but it was likely to be much worse.

Ring's father said it was a jump his son had done before with no problem.

“There was no alcohol involved, he wasn’t reckless,” Ring’s father said. “It was a simple mistake on a dive he had already done.”

Ring's father described the incident as an accident similar to slipping in the shower, but one that took a traumatic turn for the teen, his friends, family and nearby onlookers. Fortunately, some of these spectators took action.

“Someone had alcohol wipes because he had abrasions on his back, so it was kind of a community first responder effort,” Ring's father said. “I’m grateful for that, I wasn’t there. He was up there with some of his buddies, just trying to have a fun day.

Although the day quickly took a “scary” turn for everyone involved, Ring's family is grateful that he is ultimately okay – a sentiment shared by the Manchester Journal and likely many others in Northshire.

Editor's Note: The Manchester Journal is committed to reporting accurate local and breaking news, and strives to provide timely corrections where necessary. In this case, clarifying details were only available on file on the afternoon of Friday, June 7, despite multiple attempts to contact the relevant authorities. The ability of speakers to speak with the media is limited by privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The Manchester Journal thanks our area's first responders for their service.