Climber Injured After Falling From Cliffs At Meadow Creek Park

A climber suffered injuries after falling from a cliff at Meadow Creek Lake Park Sunday.

Eddie Haynes is a team leader for the Putnam County Rescue Squad’s Mountain Rescue Team. He said the unidentified man fell approximately 25-feet while free climbing in a remote area.

A climber was rescue from Meadow Creek Lake Park Sunday after falling approximately 25-feet from a cliff.

“We used a Ferno rescue basket with an all-terrain wheel to extract him out of there,” Haynes said. “We did request an aircraft from the highway patrol, but it was not a duty day for them and it was going to take over two hours, so we had to move him out by ground.”

The man received treatment at Vanderbilt Medical Center for multiple fractures and a spinal injury. He was listed in stable condition Monday morning.

Haynes said about 20-people took part in the three hour operation.

“To my knowledge, this was the first rescue out there,” Haynes said. “We had four agencies involved…Putnam Rescue, EMS, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, and Monterey City Fire. We also received assistance from some local landowners and a few of the climbers in the area.”

Meadow Creek Lake Park is owned by the city of Monterey and is frequently used for rock climbing. The city received a national rock climbing grant earlier this year for the purpose of providing safe and legal access to the cliffs.