PORT TOWNSEND — A father and son from the Key Peninsula area in Puget Sound were rescued unharmed from the northern bluffs of Fort Worden this week.
Zach Miller, 15, and his father, Bill Miller, were hoisted up the cliff late Tuesday night, said Bill Beezley, East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesman.
The teen left the family campsite shortly after 8 p.m. and wandered up through the old military batteries of the fort, the family told firefighters.
At about 8:30 p.m., he fell down the bluff near Tolles Battery, which was the site of a dog’s cliff rescue last year.
The teen came to rest about 100 feet down the bluff, unharmed but stuck on a small outcropping.
His parents became alarmed at their son’s absence and called him on his cellphone at about 9 p.m., Beezley said.
After he told them what happened and where he was stuck, they left the campsite and found him, Beezley said, and his father tried to reach him.
But the father’s rope was too short to reach his son, and then the father also ended up trapped on the bluff, about 75 feet down and 30 feet to the east of his son, Beezley said.
A Fort Worden ranger was contacted.
The ranger phoned 9-1-1 dispatchers, who paged the fire department.
Firefighters arrived at 10:29 p.m., Beezley said.
Firefighter/EMT Justin Fletcher rappelled down the cliff and attached a rope harness to Zach.
Once Zach was safe, Fletcher rappelled back down to Zach’s father before both were lifted to the top of the cliff.
Firefighters from Naval Magazine Indian Island and Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue assisted in the rescue efforts.