Grays Harbor Fire District 2 and Thurston County’s Special Operations Rescue Team worked together to rescue a woman after she fell off a 200-foot embankment near the Wynoochee Dam late Wednesday night.

The woman was rescued from the ravine and medevac’d by Airlift Northwest, said Chief John McNutt of District 2.

“We were dispatched out 22:35. The sheriff’s department was there before we got there,” McNutt said. “It’s one of those high-risk low-frequency calls. It’s something that doesn’t happen very often but when they do it’s a lot of work.”

The woman had been there helping to tow a car, McNutt said, before going over the edge. As soon as the department got the call, the District 2 officer coordinating the response called for assistance from the SORT team, McNutt said, recognizing that the high-angle rescue was going to require specialized assistance.

“The on-duty officer called when he was on the way up knowing it was going to be beyond our capability and resources,” McNutt said. “The high angle rescue is those areas where you need to access using rope equipment. It entails a lot of specialized training and practice.”

Personnel arriving on the scene located and could communicate a little with the victim, McNutt said, but were unable to assess the scope of her injuries. The SORT team arrived at 12:42 a.m. and got right to work, McNutt said, while District 2 personnel assisted by illuminating the area and supporting the rescue team. About eight personnel from District 2 and 12 from Thurston County responded, McNutt estimated.

“There was a patient who had fallen down the embankment,” McNutt said. “She did have a flashlight so we could kind of see where she was. We could yell back and forth.”

Falling that distance can cause many injuries, including internal ones, that require advanced care, McNutt said.

“I would say she was stable but there were injuries that needed a higher level care,” McNutt said. “We didn’t know until they were able to get down to her.”

With assistance from Tacoma Power personnel who operated the dam, emergency responders were able to use part of the dam property as a landing zone for an Airlift Northwest medevac bird, McNutt said. The victim was evacuated to Harborview Medical Center. District 2 personnel cleared the scene at 3:18 a.m., McNutt said.

Be careful around sharp drop-offs at night, McNutt recommended.

“Be very cautious. If there’s barricades blocking something off, don’t go beyond them,” McNutt said. “Stay to the area you know that are secure and sturdy.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.