A seven-year-old girl is recovering after falling off a cliff in East Sooke Regional Park Friday afternoon, the same day District of Sooke parks were re-opened to the public.
Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue were called to Cabin Point around 2:30 p.m. after the girl fell 15 feet while hiking with her friend and their mothers. Notably, the regional park has been open since lockdown began back in March.
“She banged her head on the way down,” said Vickie Webber, senior SAR manager. “She’s really lucky that a passerby hiker was a medic. She was given first aid on the scene before our crews arrived.”
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Webber said the situation could have been much worse as the girl’s friend was the only person who spoke fluent English and the two adults spoke English as a second language.
A cliff rope rescue team brought the girl up and she was taken to hospital by ambulance. Webber expects the girl to make a full recovery from her head injury.
“We realize that people have a strong desire to get outside during the pandemic,” Webber noted, recognizing that Friday, May 1 was the first day several other parks in the District of Sooke were re-opened to the public. “It’s tricky, but you have to use an abundance of caution now more than ever.”
ALSO READ: UPDATED: Search and rescue crews safely locate 19-year-old missing hiker in Sooke Potholes
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