Louisville, KY -- An 11-year-old boy trapped on a cliff 40 feet above ground over a busy road on a windy day is now safe thanks to the efforts of Louisville Fire & Rescue. WAVE 3's Jeff Tang was there for the dramatic rescue at Mellwood and Zorn Avenue.
Forty feet above the ground, on a steep cliff overlooking a busy road, a Louisville firefighter latched himself to the trapped 11-year-old boy and helped him down a firetruck ladder to safety.
A firefighter on the scene, Maj. Jimmy Jones, said the rescue "went good, he's back in good hands where he belongs. And he's okay, nobody got hurt."
Officials say the boy was a runaway from the St. Joseph's Children's Home about a mile away from the cliff, which is located on property owned by the VA Medical Center.
"A passerby was driving and saw the boy climbing," said Amanda Hedlund with the VA Medical Center. "He decided to call police."
Fire officials say the boy probably climbed a steep path at the top of the cliff, then found himself stuck-- 40 feet in the air.
"There was a lot of mud and wet leaves," Jones said. "In wet weather like this, it's so much more dangerous. I don't know what was going through his head."
Maj. Jones says the fire crew that responded to the call frequently trains for what they call "high angle rescues -- training that may have helped save a life.
"He's a lucky guy," Jones said. "He could have easily slipped all the way down there and suffered some pretty bad injuries."
The boy is now back in custody of St. Joe's Children's home, which helps local foster children and kids affected by family problems.
The home declined to speak to us about how or why the boy ran away.
