Navy Region Northwest Fire and Emergency Technical Rescue Services were requested July 31 to rescue a 26-year-old man out of a precarious situation after he had fallen from the edge of a cliff near Coupeville, Wash.

Federal Firefighters from Fire Station 71 on Ault Field worked with Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue in the early morning hours to rescue the man who was stranded at the base of a cliff after a fall of some 70 feet.

After 500 Command Central Whidbey Fire Chief Chad Michaels made the call at 1:25 a.m., Battalion Chief Sean Merrill, Fire Capt. Daylon Sweeney, firefighters Dave Hanson, Jonathan Crow, Ian Walton and Kevin Paggao responded to the emergency, reaching the scene at 2:06 a.m.

“The man was complaining of mid-back pain and multiple cuts to his face, arms and head,” said Merrill, who assumed the role of Rescue Officer, while Sweeney handled Safety and Rigging Officer duties.

According to Merrill, Paggao and Hanson constructed a mechanical advantage retrieval system using life safety rope and pulleys along with a back up safety line called a belay, while Crow established anchor points on the ladder truck to secure the retrieval and belay systems. 

The rescue team lowered Walton over the cliff edge where he strapped the patient into a full body immobilization device before extraction.  The injured man was then raised to the top of the cliff with assistance from Central Whidbey Fire District personnel.

By 3:42 a.m., the man was on his way to Whidbey General Hospital.

The man was released from Whidbey General Hospital later that morning and is quite fortunate to have survived the fall said Merrill.