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Firefighters rescued a man stuck on the side of a cliff in downtown St. Paul early Sunday.

Crews from the St. Paul Fire Department’s Rescue Squad 3 were called out just after 1:30 a.m. on reports that a man was trapped on a cliff 100 feet above ground near Wabasha Street and Shepard Road. 

The department posted a video on Twitter showing a squad member rappelling down the cliff to rescue the man. The rescuer made contact with the man, put him in a harness, and then they were lowered to the bottom of the cliff.

It's not known how the man came to be on the cliff. Authorities said he may have attempted to climb down and became stuck, or he may have come through a tunnel network, which is illegal. The rescued man was escorted away by police.

"We have plenty of bluffs and cliffs and drop-offs around the river, and our firefighters train for this annually," said St. Paul deputy fire chief Roy Mokosso. "Any time you're dealing with heights, there's always danger."

Mokosso said the department is called to perform those kinds of technical rescues three to four times a year.

Minnesota News

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Emily Bright

Author

Crews from the St. Paul Fire Department’s Rescue Squad 3 were called out just after 1:30 a.m. on reports that a man was trapped on a cliff 100 feet above ground near Wabasha Street and Shepard Road. 


A St. Paul firefighter rappels down a cliff

St. Paul firefighters rescue man trapped on cliff

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