CHIMACUM — A Port Townsend woman in her early 20s was freed with the help of firefighters after her hair became tangled in her climbing gear Saturday while rappelling down Chimacum Rock.
Crews from Jefferson County Fire District 1 went to the scene after the woman’s friends had tried for 20 minutes to solve the problem and summoned help with a cell phone.
A duty chief from Jefferson County Fire District 6 also responded.
Fire district spokesperson Michele Lalboda said the team of four had been rappelling down the rock’s 120-foot face when the woman’s hair became entangled in her harness.
Firefighters used a trail on the rock’s other side to get to the top and direct the other climbers.
A safety rope was lowered to the woman, who was hanging 35 to 40 feet above the ground.
She clipped into the second rope, relieving the pressure on her primary line and harness.
Then she untangled her hair, and firefighters lowered her to a waiting paramedic.
The woman said she was uninjured and refused treatment and transportation to a hospital.
Firefighters did not release her name. The rescue took about 40 minutes.
Chimacum Rock, accessed off of Anderson Lake Road, is a popular rappelling site.
Firefighters said the incident underscored the wisdom of carrying a cell phone during recreational activities.
