May 24--A man fell 80 feet from a St. Paul Highland bluff Thursday afternoon near the Mississippi River, prompting local authorities to call in a specialized rescue team to save him.
The man, yet to be identified by rescue authorities, fell from the bluff, which ranges as high as 100 feet, at about 1:30 p.m., according to St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard.
The man suffered back and leg injuries but was conscious during the rescue effort, according to a KARE-TV report.
The Minnesota Air Rescue Team led the effort, made up of a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter and St. Paul firefighters specially trained for air-rescue operations. Dense tree cover and foliage were cut back so the helicopter could drop rescuers into the sheer-cliff area near Mississippi River Boulevard and West Hartford Avenue.
The rescue came a day after crews worked to free four Peter Hobart Elementary School fourth-graders from a landslide at Lilydale Park. Two were airlifted from the scene with injuries while two of the students died.
Joseph Lindberg can be reached at 651-228-5513. Follow him at twitter.com/JosephLindberg.
Copyright 2013 - Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
