Man’s hammock mishap atop Clark’s Point results in nearly 60-foot tumble over bluff
A 20-year-old man who fell nearly 60 feet from a bluff above Clark’s Point in south Bellingham on Saturday was rescued by Bellingham Fire crews, thanks to an assist from a citizen on a personal watercraft .
Crews were called just before 5 p.m. to the 4700 block of Fieldston Road for a technical rescue.
The man was out enjoying the sunny weekend weather with a group of friends when he tried to sit in a hammock that was tied between two trees above the cliff, according to information provided by Assistant Chief Bill Hewett in an interview Monday with The Bellingham Herald.
The man fell from the hammock and slid about 10 to 15 feet down the bluff before dropping another 50 feet to the beach. With the tide coming in, the beach was accessible only by water.
“Fortunately, the crew from Fire Station 2 in Fairhaven was able to contact a citizen in the area with a Jet Ski, and they helped shuttle crew members from one beach that we could get to over to the other beach where the patient ended up,” Hewett told The Herald.
Hewett said between four and six crew members were shuttled to the man, who “suffered significant injury.”
Crews were able to stabilize the man before the Salish Star fire boat arrived on scene and took him to the Bellingham Coast Guard Station. Medical personnel then took him to St. Joseph hospital.
“In situations like these, when crews get on scene, our crews start talking and come up with a Plan A,” Hewett said. “Then we start making a Plan B and sometimes a Plan C, because you never know what’s going to be the easiest option.
“Fortunately, in this instance, we had a citizen that could lend us a hand.”
The man who fell down the cliff was not identified and his condition was not immediately known.
This story was originally published January 15, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
