A rock climbing trip at Kowloon Peak turned into a major rescue operation on Friday afternoon after one of two climbers slipped from a cliff and plunged down the steep face of Suicide Wall.
The two men were later identified as off duty ambulancemen. One, a man in his fifties, was left unconscious after the fall, while his companion also suffered injuries. Both were eventually winched from the mountainside by a Government Flying Service helicopter and taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
The incident began at about 2.36pm when emergency services received a distress call from a man who said his climbing partner had fallen while the pair were rock climbing at Suicide Wall, an area known for its steep terrain.
The caller told rescuers that his colleague had lost his footing and fallen down the cliffside. Although the climber remained attached to a safety rope, his companion could not determine exactly where he had landed.
The difficult terrain made the situation more complicated. The caller was unable to see the fallen man clearly or establish the extent of his injuries from his position on the mountain.
Firefighters Begin Difficult Search
Firefighters were dispatched to the area and began making their way towards the climbers on foot. Reaching the site was not straightforward because of the steep and rugged mountain terrain.
Rescue teams had to locate the men before they could begin treating the injured climber and bringing both people to safety. The challenging conditions also meant that a search from the air was needed.
The Government Flying Service deployed a rescue helicopter to assist from above. Its crew searched the mountainous area while firefighters continued their approach on the ground.
For several hours, rescuers worked to pinpoint the exact location of the climbers.
The search eventually succeeded.
Rescue personnel located both men on the cliffside, allowing firefighters to begin the next and more hazardous stage of the operation.
Fallen Climber Found Unconscious
At around 5pm, firefighters used ropes to abseil down the cliff face towards the fallen climber.
By the time rescuers reached him, the man was unconscious.
His climbing companion had also sustained injuries during the incident but remained conscious. The condition of the fallen climber, combined with the location on the steep cliff, meant that rescuers had to remove both men from the mountainside carefully.
The operation continued as daylight began to fade.
The fact that the climber had been secured by a safety rope was significant during the rescue, but it did not make the operation straightforward. The firefighters still had to descend the cliff face and reach him in terrain that was difficult to access from the ground.
The rescue also required coordination between teams working at different points around the mountain and the helicopter crew preparing for the final extraction.
Helicopter Winches Men From Cliff
At around 6.30pm, the Government Flying Service helicopter successfully winched both men from the cliffside.
The extraction marked the end of several hours of searching and technical rescue work on Kowloon Peak. Once the men were brought away from the mountain, they were flown directly to a hospital for emergency treatment.
The operation had begun more than four hours earlier, when the first distress call alerted emergency services to the fall.
From that initial call, firefighters had to reach a difficult location, search for the climbers, descend the cliff to the injured man and coordinate an aerial extraction before darkness fully set in.
The incident also illustrates the risks associated with climbing on steep and difficult terrain. A loss of footing can quickly turn a recreational outing into an emergency, particularly when a climber falls beyond the immediate view of a companion.
In this case, the presence of a safety rope helped secure the fallen climber, but his companion still could not establish his exact condition until rescuers reached him.
The rescue operation ultimately brought both men off the mountain and into medical care.
With the injured climbers taken to hospital, the immediate emergency at Kowloon Peak came to an end. The next step was medical treatment for the injuries sustained during the fall and the subsequent ordeal.
The rescue serves as a reminder that even experienced people can face serious danger when working or climbing in steep mountain areas. For anyone heading onto difficult terrain, proper safety equipment, careful planning and awareness of the surroundings can make a significant difference when an accident occurs.
Have you ever taken part in an activity where difficult terrain made an emergency rescue necessary?