The southbound lanes of U.S. 301 were closed for about two hours this morning as firefighters rescued a man who fell about 75 feet down an embankment along Cross Creek.
The man, who was not identified, suffered a possible head injury, according to Battalion Commander Richard Bradshaw of the Fayetteville Fire Department.
It happened about 1 a.m. at the bridge near the Sandpiper restaurant, Bradshaw said.
The man, who is believed to be homeless, was sleeping under the bridge, Bradshaw said.
It was not known what caused him to tumble down the weed-covered embankment, Bradshaw said.
A larger aerial ladder truck was stationed atop the bridge, he said.
Firefighters secured with safety ropes tied to the bridge, made their way down the embankment where they found the man lying near a pylon, Bradshaw said.
A Stokes stretcher was lowered from the truck to the creek bed and the man was loaded onto it and lifted to safety, Bradshaw said.
The man, believed to be in his 50s, was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, but his condition was not known.
Copyright 2012 - The Fayetteville Observer, N.C.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
