Rescue underway after person fell from cliff at Tacoma viewpoint
A technical rescue is underway for a person who fell off some cliffs at the Dalco Passage Viewpoint in Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park.
Firefighters were dispatched at 2:03 p.m. after a call came in that the fallen person was injured, Tacoma Fire Department spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd told The News Tribune.
She said rescue teams on the cliffs were attempting to use ropes to lower themselves to where the person fell. They then will get the person to the shore and onto the fireboat, Defiance.
The fireboat will take the person to a dock by Dune Peninsula where a waiting ambulance will take them to the hospital.
Shepherd said rope rescues can take a long time because there is a lot of equipment involved, and every rescue is unique.
“It’s a slow-go to make sure everybody’s safe,” she said.
Update: The person sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital, Shepherd said. She said the person’s injuries prevented them from climbing back up the hill, which was at least a 30- to 50-foot drop.
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 3:12 PM.
