2 hikers rushed to hospital after Dundas peak fall

Two peoplewere rushed to hospital with serious injuriesafter falling from the Dundaspeak Friday morning.

Police say a20-year-old man and a woman, 17, were hiking near the escarpment in Dundas. Thepeak is twice as high as the American side ofNiagara Falls.

One of the injured hikers called 911after falling around8 a.m. Friday, Paramedics say. Emergency crews arrived to find thepairinseparatelocations.

One hadfallen further than the other, Deputy FireChiefJohn Verbeekexplained. He had no information on the exact height of the fall but says "one report indicated at least 40 feet."

"One patient was located by firefighters who walked up a trail while the second was located by firefighters rappelling down," he added.

Firefighters set up separate high-angle roperescues andlifted the pairto the peakwhere ambulances were waiting.

Paramedics say the pair wasalert and conscious but had"injuries consistent with a fall."

Two paramedic transport crews and about 15 fire trucks workedwith police on the operation to rescue the two people "safely and efficiently," Supt. Dave Thompson with Hamilton Paramedics said.

Dundas peak, asmall, rocky outcroppingabove Hamilton'sTewsFalls, is a popular place for social-mediaselfies.

The circumstances of what happened in Friday's rescue are not known, but theHamilton Conservation Authority,whichowns the lands, has been concerned that people in pursuit of dramatic selfies along the trail at the peak and nearby waterfalls were taking needless risks.

One week ago,a male hiker was rescued at nearby Webster Falls from the gorge, also through a high-angle rope rescue.

The authority whichowns the lands around these escarpments issued a statement Friday "to remind all visitors of some safety information" in light of the two incidents.

"The Spencer Gorge Conservation Area provides safe vantage points and platforms to see Webster Falls, Tew Falls and the Dundas peak and it is important for people to stay behind the fences and barriers at these vantage points," the statement said.

It also included the following reminders:

• Stay on trails and not climb or otherwise bypass fencing

• Some natural areas and escarpment features may not be fenced. Stay at least a body lengthfrom the edge of gorges and escarpment areas.

• Adults should keep children and pets well away from these areas.

• Visitors should keep to marked trails at all times