Nanaimo’s emergency services personnel scrambled to Piper Lagoon Park on the weekend to rescue two hikers who had fallen over a cliff.
The incident happened at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 29, when a 19-year-old man and 21-year-old woman fell over a cliff estimated to be about 7.5 to 9 metres onto rocks on the northeast side of the park.
Troy Libbus, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief of operations, said the fire department's rope rescue technicians responded from across the city.
“We were first on scene, so we were dealing with the patients and B.C. Ambulance paramedics were walked down there,” he said.
Despite first responders being able to walk to the incident site, the best way to bring both patients out was by bringing them back up the cliff in a Stokes basket.
“That was the best access out, so the rope rescue team was assembled…,” Libbus said. “Once at the top we use what’s called a bogey wheel and we wheeled them to B.C. Ambulance, but there was patient care taken at the bottom of the cliff.”
Both patients were transported to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for further treatment. The assistant chief said both patients were conscious when they were taken to the ambulance and that both had suffered lacerations; the woman had cuts on the back and front of her head and had a suffered a broken wrist, and the man had a possible broken ankle with cuts on his arm.
This was the second incident in which someone fell over a cliff in the park in less than a month. On June 1, a woman was airlifted to hospital after falling an estimated 12-15 metres and suffering multiple fractures.
Libbus said people need to take precautions when hiking in Nanaimo’s parks.
“Stay back 10 feet from all edges,” he said. “Any time you go hiking, always hike with somebody or let someone know where you’re going.”
He also recommended people protect themselves from the sun, carry water and wear proper hiking shoes and be aware that in the dry summer months, ground can dry out and become slippery with loose soil and gravel.
