Rope Rescue in Portland

The technical rescue team from the Portland Fire Bureau on Tuesday afternoon rescued a woman who apparently fell to the bottom of an 80-foot embankment near the Chart House in Southwest Portland.

Lt. Rich Chatman of the Portland Fire Bureau said that rescue crews were alerted to the incident about 1:08 p.m. by a Portland Police officer who had heard the woman’s cries for help.

The officer began investigating after finding the woman’s vehicle, which had been the subject of a search by the Hillsboro Police Department, along Southwest Terwilliger Boulevard just north of the Chart House.

Chatman said Hillsboro Police had been asked to do a welfare check on the woman and were concerned about her and had asked other agencies to be on the lookout for her car.  The woman’s husband reported her overdue to Hillsboro Police.

Chatman said that the Portland officer “did an amazing job.” After a short search, the officer heard the woman call out from the bottom of the embankment.  The officer then radioed for help and the Fire Bureau sent out the technical rescue team.

Chatman said that the woman, whose name and age were not yet available, was found near a trail at the bottom of the embankment, which is below Southwest Terwilliger Boulevard and above Barbur Boulevard.

When the rescue team arrived on the scene, Chatman said, they quickly built a rope system and lowered a rescuer.  The team then hauled the woman and the rescuer back up the embankment.

Initial reports incorrectly indicated that the woman had gone over the embankment in a car.

Chatman said the woman was conscious and alert when the rescuers found her and she was taken to a local hospital.  He said she did not appear to be seriously injured.

About Author

countyfiretactics

Curt Isakson is a 35 year veteran of the fire service. Curt is currently a Battalion Chief for Escambia County Fire Rescue. Previously worked 9 years with the Pensacola Fire Department where he was assigned as the Company Officer on Rescue 31. Curt’s fire service experiences started at a young age as a Junior firefighter with the Midway Fire Protection District and rose through the ranks to Captain. He has worked in volunteer, career, and combination departments.

Curt has held all ranks up to Battalion Chief and been assigned to operations, training, inspections, and was Chief of Special Operations for 7 years. Curt owns and operates County Fire Tactics that covers a very diverse range of fire service topics, as well as Firefighter Rescues, a site that documents rescues made by firefighters around the country.

He has annual contracts with numerous departments to provide standardized monthly training for these departments that respond daily together under an automatic aid agreement. Curt teaches nationally to include; FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Orlando Fire Conference, Atlanta Fire Conference, Bowling Green State University, and owns/operates the annual HROC, COBC, WOTF, CFT ODP on Pensacola Beach. He is a Florida Certified Fire Officer, Instructor, Inspector, Arson, and FLUSAR.

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