July 19—The Seattle Fire Department Technical Rescue Team rescued a 48-year-old man from the side of a bluff at Carkeek Park.

At 11 a.m., hikers along the trail called 911 to report a person down a sandy bluff who needed assistance. Firefighters arrived and hiked down the trail to assess the patient’s injuries. The man complained of lower leg pain and said he was unable to walk out of the area. Firefighters wrapped the man up and placed him in a stokes basket to protect him while he was lifted off of the bluff.

Firefighters initiated a high angle rope rescue to lift the man 60 feet up from the sandy bluff perch. Next, fire crews carried the 48-year-old a quarter of a mile to near the trail head. Finally, firefighters used a system of ropes to pull the stokes basket up a low angle pitch of the trail. The man was brought off the trail at 12:25 p.m.

After being assessed by paramedics, the patient showed no signs of broken bones or any other major injuries. Medics transported the patient in stable condition to Harborview Medical Center where he was treated for dehydration.

The patient told firefighters he went hiking the night before and slipped off the trail and fell 15 feet. When he tried to get up he fell another 40 feet. He ended up stuck on the bluff overnight until he was discovered by the hikers.