PORT ANGELES – A 22-year-old man is in the hospital after falling over a cliff east of Port Angeles while trying to rescue his dog.
Clallam 3 Fire Rescue was dispatched at 11:20 p.m. Thursday to 183 Twilight Beach Road, where the patient had telephoned 911 dispatch saying that he believed he broke his back and could not move his legs. The patient had gone over the cliff to check on his dog, which had also fallen.
First arriving crews met with the patient’s friends, and the property owner, who knew of an access trail to the beach. Several members made their way down the trail to the patient.
Paramedics say it appeared likely that the patient had a broken back. They gave him pain medication and began preparing the man for transport.
A Coast Guard helicopter was called, and they lowered a swimmer to the beach. The patient, a paramedic, and the Coast Guard swimmer were hoisted up to the helicopter and they flew to meet a Life Flight crew at Olympic Medical Center for transport to Harborview.
It’s reported that the dog did not survive the fall and was extricated from the scene.