A driver in western North Carolina survived a 40-foot fall down a wooded embankment on Sunday night. He wasn’t injured, but his car took a significant amount of damage. It hit a tree on the way down and came to rest at the bottom of the slope. Rescuers used chainsaws and a rope system to bring the driver back up to the road.
The crash happened in Fairview, in Buncombe County, where Fairview Volunteer Fire and Rescue was called to a wreck Sunday night. Crews arrived to find a single vehicle about 40 feet down the embankment, resting against a tree. The driver was the only person inside and could not get out of the car or climb back up the steep hill alone.
Reaching the driver was not quick, since crews first had to use chainsaws to clear a path down through the brush. Once they were down the slope, they set up a rope system and a rescue basket. They used it to bring the driver up the 40-foot grade and back onto the road.
At the road, paramedics checked the driver over. The driver said they were not hurt and declined to be taken to a hospital, according to WLOS. The department said it was grateful the crash had not ended much worse.
How Crews Reached the Driver
The rescue was a bit of an involved operation. Fairview Volunteer Fire and Rescue is a combination department that typically handles rescues across a 47-square-mile area of Buncombe County. The slope was steep enough that the driver wouldn’t have been able to get out without assistance, which is why the fire department stepped in.
After clearing the path to the car with chainsaws, crews worked down the embankment. They then set up the rope system and basket. With the driver lifted into the basket, they brought it up the 40-foot grade to the pavement. Paramedics were waiting at the road to evaluate the driver after the rescue was complete.
What the Fire Department Said
The fire department said the outcome could easily have been worse. In its account, the steep terrain and the surrounding trees made the crash more dangerous than it might first appear. The department said it “could have been a much different outcome” and that it was thankful the driver was uninjured.
As of Monday, the department hadn’t said exactly where the car left the road, and the cause of the crash was still unclear. Those details may come out in the next few days. The driver survived, at least, and will likely think twice about these potential hazards in the future.