Man rescued after falling down steep river bluff near University of Minnesota in Minneapolis
A man is recovering in the hospital after falling down a bluff on the Mississippi River near the University of Minnesota's East Bank campus in Minneapolis on Saturday night.
The Minneapolis Fire Department said crews were called to East River Flats Park off East River Parkway at 8:24 p.m. after the man called 911 from his smart watch.
He told dispatchers he was "stuck in a bunch of brush and trees" and didn't know his exact location.
Rescue crews then used sirens, spotlights and infrared lights to find him, with some firefighters repelling about 20 feet down the bluff to reach him.
"It was tough getting down there, not knowing the terrain, can't see where you're going, very limited visibility and uneven ground," said Battalion Chief Daross Jones.
Instead of pulling the man up the embankment, crews instead used a fire rescue boat to retrieve him and take him to paramedics waiting on shore by the U's Boat House nearby.
Fire officials said the man was taken to Hennepin Healthcare, where he was listed late Saturday in stable condition. No rescue crew members were hurt in the effort.