Climber plunges dozens of feet and lands on steep, rocky ledge, Washington rescuers say
A rock climber plunged 25 feet and landed on a steep ledge at a Washington state park, fire officials said.
Rescuers were called to the fall at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at Beacon Rock State Park, the Vancouver Fire Department said in a news release.
Two climbers had been using ropes to climb up Beacon Rock on a climbing path, fire officials said.
Then one of the climbers fell, fire officials said, and landed on a ledge that was 200 feet from the ground.
Rescuers had to climb up the 200-foot wall to reach the man who was in “significant pain” because of multiple injuries, including a hip injury, fire officials said.
He was put in a basket, and rescuers used a rope and pulley system to lower him to safety, officials said.
The rescue took about five hours.
“This was a really tough one. This was a once in a career rescue effort,” one technical rescue team leader said in the release.
“That was the hardest tech call of my 30-year career. We were on plan D and E. There were so many variables and our last rescuer came off the rock in the dark,” a fire department battalion chief said.
Beacon Rock is an 848-foot basalt volcanic plug that overlooks the Columbia River and was a landmark for Lewis and Clark, according to the National Park Service.
Hikers can reach the top by following a “mile-long switchback trail.”
