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Fire crews make rope rescue at escarpment area near Hamilton cemetery

Fire crews rescue a hiker during a rope rescue at a cliff near Hamilton Cemetery on Feb.1 , 2021. @HamiltonFireDep

Hamilton fire say they rescued one person during a high-angle rope rescue (HARR) on a cliff in the city’s northwest on Tuesday night.

“Just around sunset tonight our crews responded to the escarpment area behind Hamilton Cemetery for a person stuck over the side,” the service said in a social media post.

The victim was uninjured in the incident.

The popularity of Hamilton’s trails and waterfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with increases in emergency calls for rope rescues over the past two years.

In 2020, Hamilton fire Chief Dave Cunliffe confirmed in a budget presentation there were 20 rope rescues from April to December.

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Last year, there were 16 rope rescue calls.

The numbers overshadow the pre-pandemic number for 2019 which was just 11.

The most common areas hikers typically are being rescued from are the city’s falls like Tews, Webster’s and Albion Falls, according to Cunliffe.

Spencer Gorge in Dundas and the Devil’s Punchbowl in Stoney Creek are also on the list.

 

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