Washington state authorities had to rescue an injured climber who was stuck 200 feet off the ground in Beacon Rock State Park last Thursday.
In a statement, the Skamania County Sheriff's Office explained that the climber, who was only identified as an adult male, had fallen 25 feet during an ascent with a partner on a defined path. As a result, he suffered multiple injuries, including trauma to his hip.
Because of the severity of the climber's injuries and the distance rescuers would need to ascend, the sheriff's office said the technical rescue team had to develop a "methodical plan to reach the injured climber," which involved "a complex rope and pulley system."
One of the rescuers on the scene called it "a once-in-a-career rescue" and a battalion chief at the scene called it "the hardest tech call of my 30-year career."
Image: Skamania County Sheriff's Office
According to the statement, three firefighters with the Vancouver Fire Department climbed the 200-foot wall to reach the injured climber and then placed him in a metal basket for extraction.
In all, it took rescuers approximately five hours to complete the rescue, which meant they "narrowly beat the oncoming darkness." Afterward, the climber was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
