INDEX—Fire agencies rescued a climber on April 26 who fell off a cliff near Upper Town Wall in Sky Valley Fire’s junction.
Around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon, a 911 call came into dispatch reporting that a climber had fallen from a cliff wall near the town of Index, close to the Upper Town Wall.
Sky Valley Fire was first on scene as this was in their jurisdiction, and technical rescue personnel from Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue and Snohomish County Fire District 4 were dispatched to support the high-angle rescue.
Other climbers on the wall, including an ER technician and several nurses who happened to be nearby, quickly came to the victim’s aid. They took the victim’s vitals and relayed updates as technical rescue personnel began arriving.
Once rescue technicians reached the victim, they packaged them for transport and utilized the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office SnoHawk helicopter to hoist the victim to safety. The victim was then flown to Providence Medical Center in Everett for treatment.
The victim reported extreme pain in the lower half of their body but sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
During the rescue, BNSF railroad traffic was halted to support the large number of first responders in the area.
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue is grateful to the climbers who assisted in caring for the victim and relaying vital information to first responders.
This marks the second high-angle rescue in this area this week, with both resulting in successful recoveries.
Although the exact circumstances of these incidents are unknown, Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue encourages all climbers to know their limits, check and double-check safety equipment, and monitor gear wear throughout the climbing season for wear. Also, always climb with a partner in case of unexpected situations.
Source: Peter Mongillo, Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
