Man injured after falling down embankment at Saint John's Reversing Falls

A man is in hospital after an extraordinary rescue at Saint John’s Reversing Falls on Friday morning.

Emergency personnel found a 33-year-old man at the bottom of a steep embankment under the Reversing Falls bridge, following a 911 call around 8:45 a.m. The man was injured, but conscious.

The man told police that he had tripped and accidentally fallen down the embankment and had been there since the overnight hours.

The extent of his injuries are unknown but police say they’re believed to be non-life threatening.

A person walking across the bridge Friday morning heard someone hollering for help below and alerted emergency crews.

“They’re the real hero in this story,” says Saint John Fire Department platoon chief Steve Voutour.

“They’re the one who activated the 911 system, ensured that when we arrived on scene they pointed out where the individual was. They didn’t just walk by, they took the time to do what was the right thing.”

The Saint John Police Force, Saint John Fire Department, Canadian Coast Guard, and Ambulance New Brunswick all worked together to carry out the complicated rescue operation.

“It’s a very technical side of rescue involving ropes and pulleys and mechanical advantages, haul systems, things of that nature,” says Voutour. “So it is one of our most technical disciplines.”

“There’s a lot involved. The crews work very, very hard at keeping the discipline up. It’s one of these low frequency high result types of events.”

The man was immobilized from the embankment, transported to shore on the Coast Guard boat, and then transported to hospital.

“The tide was running full out here this morning and the Saint John Coast Guard did a phenomenal job,” says Voutour.

The Saint John Police Force says its investigation is continuing.