A woman in her 30s needed help from Nanaimo Fire Rescue after she slipped and fell down an embankment near Nanaimo's Pearson Bridge on Monday, June 30. (Cale Burns)

By Jordan Davidson

rope rescue

Woman rescued after slipping down bank near Nanaimo’s Millstone River

Jul 2, 2025 | 1:32 PM

NANAIMO — A woman had to be rescued after falling down a steep, dirt cliff just outside of the downtown requiring a tricky rope rescue.

On Monday, June 30, just after 7 p.m., a passerby at Maffeo Sutton Park noticed two dogs standing alone and barking on the banks of the Millstone River near the Pearson Bridge, felt something was off and called police to investigate.

Nanaimo RCMP Cst. Sherri Wade told NanaimoNewsNOW when police arrived, they found a woman in her late 30s who had fallen down a “precarious dirt cliff” and needed assistance.

“An officer attended, and there was a solid six-foot drop down the embankment. Ambulance and fire were called, and they made contact with the female, and she was rescued with the efforts of fire, police and ambulance.”

Wade said they were able to pull the woman up with only a few minor scratches, but she was still taken to the hospital as a precaution.

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Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief Troy Libbus said multiple resources were called to the scene to form their technical rescue team together to perform a high-angle rescue.

“We did have a firefighter access the patient about 50 feet down the embankment. She was stable, and the decision was to lower her a little bit further and get her out to BC ambulance.”

Libbus said due to the rarity of this type of call, frequent training is important to ensure they’re ready to spring into action when the situation arises.

He added calls of this nature are “low frequency, but high risk”.

“We don’t get that many rope rescues, we’re very fortunate and very lucky, and the community has been responsible, staying away from embankments and wearing the proper footwear while they’re hiking… accidents happen and it’s unfortunate.”

Fire Rescue has responded to a few similar rescue calls so far this year, including the day before, when two hikers fell from a cliff at Nanaimo’s Pipers Lagoon Park.

They also helped a man who had fallen down the embankment of the Milestone River in May of last year, in an almost identical location to Monday’s rescue.

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