Teen survives 400-foot fall from Washington state canyon

Lina PortmanMay 28, 2024

0 1 minute read

Authorities rescued a teenager who fell 400 feet into a canyon in Washington state on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Mason County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
West Mason Fire Chief Matthew Welander said they perform between three and five rescues in the canyon a year. Photo courtesy of Mason County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
West Mason Fire is warning the public not to walk under the High Steel Bridge. Photo courtesy of Mason County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

May 28 (UPI) — A teenager suffered only minor injuries after falling about 400 feet into a Washington state canyon over Memorial Day weekend, authorities said.

West Mason Fire Chief Matthew Welander told King5 the unidentified 19-year-old man was trying to walk under the High Steel Bridge when he fell Saturday.

Welander said a rescue team was deployed and a harnessed firefighter was needed to push off the side of the bridge and reach the teen.

“I hooked him up to a harness and pulled him all the way up,” he said.

According to the Washington Trails Association, at 365 feet high, the High Steel Bridge is the tallest railroad bridge ever built in the United States.

The Mason County Sheriff's Office confirmed the rescue in a statement posted on its Facebook page along with photos of the operation.

“Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our Special Operations Rescue Team, he was rescued and suffered minimal injuries,” the sheriff’s office said.

According to Welander, rescues are attempted between three and five times a year and usually end with the recovery of a body. He said that for every survivor, there were about 20 deaths.

“We practice a lot getting bodies out of here,” he said.

West Mason Fire posted a warning on its Facebook page Monday: “Remember, do NOT go down next to the bridge.

“Luckily, the 19-year-old escaped alive. Many of our rescues were not so lucky,” he added.