Emergency crews in Pierce County, Washington, carried out a lengthy and difficult rescue operation after a car plunged off a steep cliff near T-Rex Falls. Two men were pulled to safety following the crash, capping an effort that stretched across many hours in harsh overnight conditions.
According to officials, the incident began as a rollover crash that sent the vehicle roughly 250 feet off the edge of the cliff. The scale of that drop turned what might have been a routine response into a complex and hazardous operation for the crews who were called to the scene.
The crash happened around 10 p.m. on Thursday night. In the darkness, reaching the wreck and the people inside it would prove to be a major challenge, given the steep and remote location where the car had come to rest.
Officials say they were able to locate the two victims after other people who had been involved in the crash walked down the mountain and got their attention. That contact gave responders the information they needed to begin searching for the men still stranded near the bottom of the cliff.
From there, the rescue became a test of endurance. It took nearly 11 hours for crews to reach the two men, an extended timeline that reflected just how difficult the terrain and conditions were throughout the operation.
Throughout that time, responders had to contend with cold temperatures, rain, heavy fog and rugged terrain. Each of those factors added to the danger and slowed the effort to get to the victims and bring them back up the steep slope to safety.
Once the two men were finally reached, the crash victims were airlifted out of the area. They were said to be in critical condition. Authorities have not released further details, and additional information is expected as the response and any investigation continue.