Parks Canada not commenting after woman drives off Signal Hill cliff

Parks Canada refused comment Monday after a 20-year-old woman drove her car off Signal Hill cliff in St. John's,saying the weekend incident is underpolice investigation.

Police saidthey will not be providing updates to mediaon the condition of the woman, who at last report was in hospital with serious injuries after going over the edge of the cliff near Cabot Tower Sunday morning.

• Woman, 20, in serious condition after driving car over Signal Hill cliff in St. John's

Her identity has not been released.

TheRoyal Newfoundland Constabularysaid Monday its investigation into the incident is nearly complete.

Police were called around 7:45 a.m. Sunday about a car driving suspiciously near Cabot Tower.

Within 30 minutes of that call, the RNC said, the woman had driven through a gate on the edge of the Signal Hill parking lot and proceeded to an area beyond Cabot Tower, and over the edge of a cliff.

A high-angle rescue team was called in to reachthe driver, who police said was located about 20 metres from the vehicle.

'I was just thinking about the victim'

After the ambulance had left the scene, tow truck operator Bob Rice was called to retrieve the grey Toyota Echo from the steep cliff.

A risky job, he admitted, but not as tough as removing the young woman from the scene.

"We just had to go for a vehicle, with no real great importance," said Rice, who works with Avalon Towing.

"I was just thinking about the victim.It was good that it wasn't a fatality."

Rice said the car was on a ledge above the popular North Head hiking trail, about one-quarter of the way down.

His main concern was where the vehicle would end up if it moved.

"There were people walking the trail even at that early hour, not knowing what was going on. Chances are they'd have headphones, or earbuds in," he said.

With the winds howling, Rice and his crew tethered themselves to firefighters, anddragged a cable and chains over the cliff, kicking loose rocks out of the way.

"It wasn't too bad really. I don't have a real fear of heights," said Rice. "I also had the secure feeling that I was tethered to one of the tactical guys and all the way down he was coaching me."

It took about 90 minutes to get the job done.

Rice said he was relieved that the mission was accomplished with no environmental damage from ruptured engines or gas pans.