Injured hikers rescued near Canyon Creek
Bungee jumpers work with officials to lift teens to bridge
Will Rinta of the Volcano Rescue Team brings up an injured teen to the bridge over Canyon Creek in northeast Clark County. Rinta made the journey twice to get a boy and a girl, both about 13.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Bungee jumpers worked with emergency officials to rescue two injured hikers Sunday afternoon.
Tom McDowell said a boy and girl, both about 13, attempted to hike down a steep trail to Canyon Creek next to what is known as the bungee bridge because it’s where Bungee Masters offers it jumps.
“They were just at the bungee bridge and they took a trail down to the creek and he fell 10 to 12 feet,” McDowell said.
“He couldn’t get back up.”
The accident happened about 3:30 p.m.
McDowell, of North Country EMS of Yacolt, said it was decided it would be safer to send a rescuer down from the bridge on Healy Road.
So, Will Rinta of the North Country’s Volcano Rescue Team was sent down 192 feet.
“We actually used some of the equipment from the bungee folks,” McDowell said.
Rinta went down, put the boy in a back brace and then into a basket and was hoisted back up.
They then discovered the girl had hurt her knee and Rinta repeated the rescue.
The area is about five miles east of the Chelatchie Prairie Forest Service office.
McDowell credited bungee.com workers with a cooperative attitude.
“The folks who were at the bungee bridge went down and made contact. And they were the ones who contacted 911,” he said.
Fire District 10 of Amboy also responded. Nine members of the Volcano Rescue Team were at the scene.
McDowell said the boy and girl seemed to have non-life-threatening injuries.
He said the rope rescue was safer than a land rescue because, “It’s nasty country to try to come up through the brush and the trees.”
Names and hometowns of the boy and girl were not available.
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