A teenager is hospitalized after falling more than 15m off a cliff and into a tree at a popular NSW tourist spot.
A teenager fell more than 15m off a cliff and into a tree in the Hunter area of NSW on Tuesday afternoon.
Paramedics were called to the Hunter River Reservation in Greta shortly before 4pm on Tuesday following reports that a person had fallen off a cliff and was now “tangled in a tree” with a broken leg.
Several ground and air rescue teams responded to the incident, including a helicopter with a doctor on board, intensive care, rescue and road paramedics.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Joel De Zuna said the teenager was in a precarious position several yards from the bottom of the cliff.
“What was already a difficult and complex vertical rescue became even more difficult as we lost daylight and it started to rain,” he said.
Three hours after the teenager’s initial fall, paramedics rescued him using ropes and winched him to safety.
He was rushed to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle where he remains in stable condition.
Mr De Zuna said the teenager’s rescue was the result of an “incredible” response from multiple agencies.
“I can’t say enough praise about how our paramedics and critical care team applied their lifesaving training to get to this patient, secure and stabilize him and get him up the cliff in safely,” he said.
