Update: Injured woman rescued from cave at Skaha Bluffs

UPDATE: 8 p.m.

Search and rescue crews have successfully rescued a woman who fell down a deep cave at the north end of the Skaha Bluffs around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

Randy Brown, public affairs and manager for Penticton and District Search and Rescue, says the Lower Mainland woman in her 50s was removed from the cave at about 7 p.m.

She was taken to hospital and is reportedly in stable condition with upper body and head injuries.

PENSAR had to fly in help from as far as Nanaimo due to the complicated rescue. Help came in the form of nine members of the BC Cave Rescue team.

Those nine cave experts assisted the 20 PENSAR members and two helicopters already on scene to successfully complete the rescue.

Brown says he does not yet have an exact depth for the cave, but believes it was between 40 and 60 feet deep.

All rescue crews are now working to safely get out of the area, as well as removing all of the required equipment that was flown in including ropes, drill bits, spikes etc.

Brown is also have dinner brought up to rescuers, some of which have been on scene since noon.

More information is expected on this rescue later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Penticton Search and Rescue, along with other emergency services, are working to rescue a woman who fell into a cave at the Skaha Bluffs earlier today.

Photo courtesy of Skylar Noe-Vack

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UPDATE 7:15 p.m.

Observors at Skaha Bluffs are reporting the patient was taken out of cave and landed at the command post at about 7 p.m. in unknown condition.

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UPDATE 4:02 p.m.

Emergency personnel are still working to rescue a woman who fell in a cave at the Skaha Bluffs around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

“It’s the depth she is at that is causing challenges,” said Randy Brown, public affairs and manager for Penticton and District Search and Rescue. “We have cave rescue people coming from Kelowna and the coast to assist.”

Brown said it still could be hours before they are able to get the woman out of the cave.

“We have lots of people right there with her, but I am unsure of her medical condition at this time.”

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A woman is believed to have suffered serious injuries after falling into a cave at the Skaha Bluffs on Monday.

According to a person at the command station, emergency crews are currently working to rescue the woman.

The Penticton Fire Department, Penticton and District Search and Rescue, RCMP, ambulance services and HNZ air operations are all working together at the scene of the incident.

More information will be reported as details become available.

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