Rescue crews in Tacoma were in the middle of a tricky cliff operation Monday after a person fell from the bluffs at the Dalco Passage viewpoint in Point Defiance Park. Teams on the cliff face worked with rope systems while a city fireboat waited just offshore, ready to move the person to safety once rescuers could bring them down to the waterline.
Rescue Teams Using Ropes, Fireboat To Move Patient
The Tacoma Fire Department sent technical rescue crews to the Dalco Passage viewpoint along Five Mile Drive on Monday, where teams were working to lower themselves to the spot where the person had fallen. As reported by The News Tribune, the plan was to get the person to shore, then onto the Fireboat Defiance, before transporting them by ambulance from a dock near the Dune Peninsula.
Fire Department spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd said it is “a slow-go to make sure everybody’s safe.” She explained that rope rescues can take a long time because of the heavy equipment involved and the particular conditions at each scene. Shepherd told The News Tribune that crews were coordinating from the cliff, on the water and along nearby roads as they worked to move the person to the boat. Officials had not immediately released the person’s identity or condition.
Cliffs And Tides Make Rescues Risky
The cliffs along Five Mile Drive have long been prone to erosion and fast-changing tides that can strand visitors below. Parks staff have previously closed and reworked trails and installed fencing to keep hikers away from the bluff edge. KIRO 7 has reported on past safety improvements at the park and noted that Tacoma emergency crews have been called out repeatedly when people become trapped or fall on the eroding bluffs.
The city maintains multiple fireboats and trains technical-rescue teams for both marine and cliff incidents. The department’s 2023 standards-of-cover report describes the Fireboat Defiance as a primary marine response asset, and city documents highlight the complexity of marine and technical rescues. Officials have urged visitors to stay back from cliff edges and to keep a close eye on the tide.
