A climber was rescued from a tree on February 20, 2021, in Port Ludlow, Washington, after he realized, once aloft, that his ropes were too frayed to trust for the climb down.
The Port Ludlow man had climbed 50 feet up the trunk, apparently cutting limbs as he went, according to photos. But at some point he discovered the ropes he had used in his climb were frayed and he couldn’t use them to get back down.
Rescue units from Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue responded to the call, as well as East Jefferson Fire Rescue and the Navy’s technical rescue teams from Naval Magazine Indian Island and Rescue 61, from the Navy’s installation in Bangor.
A member of one of the Navy’s technical teams climbed the tree and attached ropes to the harness the tree cutter was wearing, and the two descended to the ground safely, according to a report in The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader.