Injured hiker rescued after falling off cliff into the ocean on Vancouver Island

Hiker airlifted to safety It was a harrowing experience for a hiker on Vancouver Island after falling into the ocean and being forced to swim for their life.

A hiker was rescued from a terrifying situation off the west coast of Vancouver Island over the weekend.

Volunteers with the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad and Juan De Fuca Search and Rescue were called around 1:45 p.m. on Sunday after a hiker fell off a cliff on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail and into the ocean below.

The hiker fell over 10 metres and “hit several rocks along the way,” ultimately landing in a deep surge channel, Richard Johns, search manager with the AVRS, told CTV News.

The individual was able to swim to a wet and rocky outcropping, where they waited for rescue.

A firefighter out of Port Renfrew got to them first, and provided first aid until search and rescue arrived.

The hiker suffered a lower leg fracture, but Johns said that was a relatively minor injury given the circumstances.

“Definitely could have ended up much worse given the terrain they were in and ending up in the ocean like they did,” he said.

Aboard an Airspan helicopter chartered from Sechelt, rescuers flew in to the subject and used a 100-foot longline to hoist them off of the rocks. The hiker was then flown back to the beach before heading back to Port Renfrew, where they were handed off to B.C. Ambulance.

Johns said Sunday’s rescue was the second in two weeks on the Juan De Fuca trail, and reminded nature-goers to always have a proper communication device so they can get help if they need it.

“It’s always important for people to know where you’re going to be, what your travel plan is,” he added.