Multiple agencies worked together Sunday night to rescue a man who fell down a 50-foot cliff near a remote waterfall east of Yacolt. Clark County Fire District 13 and North Country EMS responded to the initial call about 11:30 p.m. Upon arrival, crews met with the caller who led them to where the man had fallen. First responders discovered the man injured at the base of the cliff near Big Creek waterfall. They requested additional resources from Clark County Fire District 10, Clark County Fire District 6, the Vancouver Fire Department, Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the Volcano Rescue Team. While waiting for additional crews to arrive, firefighters from District 13 and District 10 deployed a hasty rescue team, navigating dense, dark and slippery terrain. Using a series of switchbacks, they carefully descended a makeshift path to reach the man. There, they provided medical care until the technical rope rescue team could safely bring the man up the cliff.

According to District 13’s post on Facebook, a total of 30 personnel from multiple agencies worked together under difficult conditions. “The Volcano Rescue Team and the Clark County Regional Technical Rescue Team seamlessly executed a high-angle rope rescue, lowering additional rescuers to the patient’s side to assist with extraction,” the post stated. The sheriff’s office also deployed a drone equipped with a searchlight to improve visibility for crews working at the base of the cliff. Once rescued from the cliff, the man was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries.