A rescue helicopter was called to a Nanaimo park on Sunday after a woman suffered multiple fractures after falling off a cliff onto the rocky shoreline.
Fire rescue, paramedics and RCMP were all dispatched to the incident at Pipers Lagoon Park, which occurred shortly before 3 p.m.
Stuart Kenning of Nanaimo Fire Rescue, who was one of the first responders on the scene, praised the emergency response, saying everyone “did a great job” after the individual fell off a cliff he described as 30 feet high.
On Tuesday, Kenning had no new information on what caused the woman to fall, but advised caution to those who venture into risky environments, especially steep hills or cliffs.
Witness Asad Shiba said he saw the woman walking very close to the cliff’s edge while he was taking his girlfriend’s photo on the beach.
After she tumbled off the cliff, he and others who were on the beach, including a nurse, ran to help the woman, who luckily didn’t land on large rocks that were in the area.
“I’m so glad that she didn’t hit those big rocks,” Shiba said.
Shiba said he called 911, and couldn’t believe how quickly the first responders came — just over 15 minutes. “They were running like it was the military,” he said.
He said the woman’s daughter reached out to him after he was quoted in a news story, expressing her gratitude for his efforts and letting him know that her mother is recovering.
