OIFR Personnel Make Cliff Rescue on New Years Eve

— by Lin McNulty —

Orcas Fire & Rescue spent a few hours on New Years Eve at Obstruction Pass in response to a man over a cliff calling for help, arriving to find a 25 year old male perched on a small ledge twenty five feet below the vertical edge and fifty feet below the roll off edge.

After a hike-in of about one quarter mile from the drive to the location of the victim, the victim was discovered on a ledge about fifty vertical feet above a hidden cove beach. Because of the stability and frame of mind of the patient the decision was made to lower rescue operator Luna to the victim on a rack with a secondary line.

The victim/patient was ambulatory and was tied off to the belay, allowing both victim and rescuer to “walk” up the vertical, while a haul team of three people raised them up to safety.

No injuries reported to any rescuers, bystanders and victim. The victim claimed no injury and declined any medical evaluation.