Rescue operation successful after rock climber fell off cliff in Blue Mountains
The injured climber spent the night on the narrow ledge high in the Blue Mountains. Photo: ABC
An injured rock climber has been rescued after falling halfway down a 150-metre cliff in the Blue Mountains yesterday.
The man was forced to spend Sunday night on a small ledge of the cliff, wrapped in a thermal blanket, after a rescue attempt had to be halted just before nightfall.
He was climbing with two others at Point Pilcher Lookout near Medlow Bath on Sunday when he fell.
The man, believed to be in his 50, sustained multiple fractures as he plummeted down the cliff.
The spot where the injured man spent Sunday night. Photo: ABC
About 11am on Monday, the man was loaded onto a stretcher by three rescue personnel as a police helicopter hovered nearby.
He was later flown to Westmead Hospital.
The treacherous operation involved several agencies, including officers from the Blue Mountains Police Rescue, along with NSW Ambulance paramedics, who were winched down to the injured man.
Acting NSW Ambulance Superintendent Greg Marshall said the man had been in a “precarious situation on one of the ledges”.
Other rescuers worked to rope off an area on the valley below, using two large trees as anchor points.
Police said instead of winching the man up to the top of the cliff, they opted to lower him to the valley floor for a helicopter extraction.
After the rescue operation was suspended at dusk on Sunday, the man, one of his companions and rescue personnel sheltered in a cave on the cliff face.
“He received care from two critical care paramedics who have given him pain relief, stabilised any fractures, they’ve provided shelter for him and additional clothing to ensure his wellbeing,” Superintendent Marshall said.
He said the temperature overnight reached four degrees but emergency services were well-equipped.
Acting NSW Police Inspector Cynthia Waldon said the patient and rescue personnel seemed to be “in good spirits”.
