A man and woman from Colorado were rescued Monday evening after falling about 20 feet off a cliff next to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Jefferson City.
Jefferson City Fire Department crews were called just after 5:30 p.m. after a property owner in the area of Sylvan Hills Road noticed a car parked at the end of a cul-de-sac, unoccupied. The car had Colorado license plates.
After going into some woods in the area, the property owner saw the man and woman lying near the tracks and called authorities.
The couple was almost directly across from the old Renns Prison on the other side of the river.
Police, fire and ambulance personnel had to climb down to the tracks with their equipment to aid the victims.
All train traffic was stopped during the rescue operation.
Emergency personnel determined the male had severe injuries, and the female suffered moderate injuries. Both had numerous cuts and abrasions, and both were believed to have suffered internal injuries. Both were conscious and talking with emergency personnel.
The names of the two victims were not released by authorities, but they estimated they were in their late 20s or early 30s.
Due to the difficult access to the area, emergency personnel stabilized the victims at the site and then transport them by the JCFD rescue boa to the Noren River Access. From there, the male would be taken by helicopter and the female by ground ambulance to University Hospital in Columbia.
From the fall site, the victims were carried along the tracks to a spot where their stretchers could be lowered by ropes to a sand bar to meet the boat.
"I'm sorry you guys had to get out here and had to do this," said the male victim.
"At least it's not snowing," responded one of the emergency personnel.
The two were in the boat and headed to the access by approximately 6:10 p.m.
Authorities said they were pleased with the coordinated effort of police, fire and ambulance personnel in getting the victims out in a timely manner.