Dramatic Niagara gorge rescue

A dramatic rescue high above the Niagara gorge. A Niagara parks police officer was hanging from a helicopter about 200 feet above the Niagara river — trying to save a young man who fell down the gorge.

The rescue took place about five kilometers north of the Canadian side of the Falls — that’s about an 8 minute drive along the Niagara river to the Niagara whirlpool. As you can see the gorge is very steep in that area — and there are a lot of trees. The terrain is also treacherous. And the 25-year old from St. Catharines ended up falling several feet.

Parks police used an aerial rescue maneuver they’d practiced but never used — until Wednesday.

Looking skyward people in the area of the gorge near Niagara Glen couldn’t believe what they were seeing. A police officer was tethered to a rope and basket carrying a critically injured hiker. They were high in the air hanging from one of the Niagara helicopters. It was the most effective way the parks high angle river team could get this injured victim out of the gorge.

Carl Scott is with Niagara Parks Police: “We have that option of having a rapid response to an injury that occurs in the parks system and the officers were able to use this method along with, as I indicated, Niagara Falls fire.”

The 25-year old was hiking with a relative when about 9:30 this morning. He strayed off the path and when he climbed over a rock he slipped and fell 30 feet down. He suffered head and back injuries.

The Niagara helicopter brought him up to the Niagara parking lot where an air ambulance was waiting to rush him to Hamilton General. Parks police Chief Carl Scott has a warning to hikers and anyone else climbing down in the gorge: “People must really follow the trail system and not follow from it. The trails are marked for a particular reason and devisting from them can certainly cause injury and unexpected mishaps”

Every year when the weather warms up, the parks police and Niagara Falls fire department are called in to rescue someone who’s fallen down the gorge. People just don’t realize how steep and dangerous this terrain really is.