A 70-year-old hang-glider who fell into a cliff at Mount Prevost near Duncan, B.C., on Friday afternoon was saved thanks to a young paraglider in his group.
The hang-glider, hailing from the Chemainus area, lost control shortly after taking off early Friday afternoon from one of Vancouver Island’s most frequented hang-gliding and paragliding locations.
Matthew Clark, 24, was flying with a group of about ten pilots when they discovered that a member of their party had crashed.
Clark stated that he quickly retrieved medical equipment from his van and scaled a cliff approximately 10 meters high, without any safety ropes or harnesses, to reach the fallen hang-glider.
Matthew Clark, a 24-year-old paraglider, says he felt no fear as he climbed down a cliff without any ropes to assist a crash victim at Mount Prevost on Friday. (CBC)
“I felt at ease and in my zone, so I went for it,” said the Victoria resident, who has over four years of experience in rock climbing and free-soloing.
Upon reaching the hang-glider, Clark found him suspended in his harness and starting to experience suspension trauma, a condition that leads to blood pooling in the legs and a decreased oxygen supply to the brain.
“I was informed that he likely would have lost his leg if I hadn’t gotten him out of his harness,” he remarked.
After cutting the harness, Clark moved the injured individual to a safer location, addressed a significant knee injury, and kept him warm as they awaited the arrival of rescue teams.
“We spent about three hours up there,” he noted.
Cowichan Search and Rescue commended Clark for his efforts in reaching the hang-glider and ensuring his safety.
“He just happened to be a rock climber, which was fortunate, and he creatively found a way to reach him,” said Mitch Wright, the search manager and rope rescue team leader for Cowichan SAR. “He took considerable risks but was able to get to him.”
Cowichan SAR set up a rope team, yet as daylight diminished, they realized they were running low on rope to safely access the ledge.
Given the challenging terrain and the urgency of the situation, Cowichan SAR called for helicopter assistance from North Shore Rescue.
John Blown from North Shore Rescue reported that the man was unconscious, hanging from his harness in a rocky gully between two cliffs.
Blown mentioned that they spotted both the hang-glider and the rescuer on the cliff as the latter waved a reflective blanket.
“He performed excellently in providing first aid and coordinating with the rescue teams,” Blown said.
Two hoist technicians, who are also physicians, administered initial first aid on-site. The team then hoisted the hang-glider, followed by the rescuer, off the cliff.
“We have great respect and gratitude for this individual who aided in the rescue,” Blown added.
The injured man was then handed over to paramedics for further care.
B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed via email to CBC News that crews arrived shortly after 5 p.m. PT on Friday.
The report indicated that the patient was conscious and transported to the hospital in serious but stable condition.
“He was definitely badly injured, but he is going to be okay,” Blown stated.
“This is why we do what we do. It’s to bring people back to their families.”