It took responders up to 12 hours to rescue a man who fell down a rocky part of an area where a waterfall is located in Barangay Silab, Amlan town in Negros Oriental.

The incident happened on Black Saturday. The rescue operation began at 4 p.m. and ran for 12 hours, according to the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Amlan.

In its Facebook page, the LDRRMO said the operation lasted that long “due to the complexity of the terrain, the condition of the victim, and the need to ensure the safety of both the patient and the responders.”

The office said the operation was carried out under challenging conditions. Its personnel, personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), as well as volunteers, had to navigate through steep slopes, dense vegetation, and limited accessibility to reach the man.

Rescuers also needed to be extra careful due to the spinal cord fracture the victim was suspected to have incurred during the fall.

“Specialized handling and transport procedures were observed throughout the operation,” the LDRRMO said.

In an interview with GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak, Ike Rodriguez of LDRRMO Amlan said the 54-year-old man went to the waterfalls to catch fish. To reach the water, he had to climb down the falls but as he was doing so, his grip on a wooden vine slipped and he fell.

The man sustained injuries and his recuperating in the hospital, as of this writing.

In the same Facebook post, LDRRMO Amlan said:

“The incident highlights the significant challenges associated with emergency response operations in remote and rugged terrain, particularly in cases involving critical injuries such as spinal trauma. It further underscores the importance of preparedness, proper equipment, and coordinated response among BFP and volunteers.”