A young man was injured Tuesday when he struck the edge of a cliff after jumping more than 100 feet into Comox Lake from a spot known as Devil’s Ladder, located at the edge of Cumberland Campground.
“He hit the rocks going down, and cut up his legs pretty bad, and then landed in the water,” said Cumberland Fire Chief Mike Williamson, noting the man is a local resident. He was air lifted to hospital in Victoria.
“Falling that far and hitting the water, they (BC Ambulance) were worried about his kidneys, and his ribs.”
As per Cumberland Fire protocol, a fall of more than 20 feet prompts a medevac.
Tuesday’s incident occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m. Derrick Bullen, who was in the vicinity riding a Seadoo, saw the man fall into the lake. He picked him out of the water and brought him to a nearby boat ramp.
“Prayers are with him, and his family and friends,” Bullen says on a Facebook post.
Williamson said there used to be a greater number of emergency calls at Devil’s Ladder when it contained a tree with a rope, but it has been taken down. These days, people rock climb on a platform equipped with ropes and anchors at the bottom of the cliff.
“Not too many injuries lately,” Williamson said. “We used to get lots, but since we took that rope swing off, that’s cut them down. But this fellow, he decided to go right to the very top and jump off.”
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
