If a camper sleepwalks off a cliff, more often than not, many would think the worst. However, a man who fell 60 feet down a Kentucky cliff while walking in his sleep on Thursday survived.
According to a report on September 9 from WYCB , an unidentified camper with a sleep disorder was rescued by a Wolfe County squad that took hours to hoist his body up to the surface.
The fall victim joined a group for camping in Red River Gorge at the time of the accidental fall, some 60-feet down a rocky ledge. Little did anyone know at the time, but the man had a chronic history of waking out of his sleep and walking about — inside or outside.
About 1:30 a.m., members in the Cincinnati man’s group discovered him missing and went on a search in the dark of the night. Some time later, they found him, still alive, trapped in a thicket of boulders and unable to free himself.
Rescue workers were faced with rugged terrain and jagged edges that complicated efforts. However, they eventually reached the man and brought in him to safety. He was then transported to a hospital and treated for a number of injuries to his back, legs, shoulder and head. However, the sleepwalking camper is expected to recover after falling off the Kentucky cliff.
Wolfe County rope technician John May said the sleepwalker was camping with friends near a cliff at Grey’s Arch Trail at the time of the fall. May spoke to the media about the incident.
“He fell approximately 60 feet, landed in an area that was littered with large boulders. The campers who were with him found him at the bottom of a 60 foot cliff. The individual has a history of sleepwalking. So camping on a cliff ledge, that’s probably what led to this incident. It’s really a miracle. He fell 60 feet into boulders and from what we’ve been told he should make a full recovery. It’s quite remarkable.”
The sleepwalking camper who fell off the cliff is lucky to be alive, and he should be grateful for the patch of rhododendrons that saved his life. The flowering plants that are in the same family as azaleas. Just a few years back, they were popularized by Martha Stewart, who loves decorating her home with the fresh flowers during the spring bloom.
Hopefully, the camper will address his sleepwalking condition to prevent future falls.
[Image via YouTube]