Rock Climber Saves 70-Year-Old Hang Glider on Vancouver Cliff

A 70-year-old hang glider is alive today because someone in his group refused to wait for help to arrive.

The pilot from Chemainus, B.C., lost control shortly after launching from Mount Prevost near Duncan on Friday afternoon. He crashed into a cliff face at one of Vancouver Island's most popular hang gliding sites, leaving him unconscious and dangling from his harness between two rock faces.

One of his friends watching from the takeoff point saw the crash and immediately called 911. But instead of staying put, the man grabbed his climbing gear and started scaling the dangerous cliff to reach his injured friend.

"He happened to be a rock climber fortunately and was able to very creatively find a way up to him," said Mitch Wright, rope rescue team leader for Cowichan Search and Rescue. "He put a lot of himself at risk but was able to get to him."

The climber reached the injured pilot and began providing first aid while coordinating with rescue teams on the ground. As daylight faded, local rescue crews realized they didn't have enough rope to safely reach the ledge.

They called in helicopter support from North Shore Rescue. When the chopper arrived, rescuers spotted the climber waving a foil blanket to signal their location.

"He did an amazing job providing first aid and coordinating with the rescue teams," said John Blown from North Shore Rescue. Two hoist technicians who are also physicians were lowered to the scene to stabilize the injured man before airlifting both him and his rescuer off the cliff.

Why This Inspires

This rescue shows what happens when ordinary people step up in extraordinary ways. The rock climber didn't have specialized rescue training or equipment beyond his climbing skills, but he had something more important: the courage to act when it mattered most.

His quick thinking bought precious time for professional rescuers to arrive with the right equipment. That window could have made the difference between life and death for his friend hanging unconscious on a cliff face.

The injured hang glider was conscious when paramedics took him to the hospital in serious but stable condition. "He was severely injured for sure, but he's going to be ok," Blown said.

Sometimes being a hero means knowing you can't wait for someone else to save the day.