Teen Survives 400-Foot Fall into Washington National Forest Canyon

A teenager miraculously survived a 400-foot fall into a canyon over Memorial Day Weekend, sustaining only minor injuries.

The 19-year-old male, who remains unidentified, was walking beneath High Steel Bridge’s canyon in Mason County, Wash., which is known to be a precarious path, according to authorities. The bridge is located roughly 100 miles southeast of Seattle. 

“We’ve told people to stay off these trails because they’re dangerous, but people either haven’t seen the warning signs or are disregarding it,” Mason County Sheriff patrol corporal Tim Ripp said, per NBC News.

The teenager only suffered scrapes on both of his arms and was taken to a local hospital to get checked out, according to the report.

PEOPLE reached out to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office for further comment, but they did not immediately respond.

Ripp also noted to NBC News that people are encouraged to stay away from the bridge due to its slippery nature and steepness. Signs surrounding the area read: “Warning: The areas around the high steel bridge are slippery, steep and unsafe for exploring.”

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page shared images of the rescue mission. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our Special Operations Rescue Team, he was rescued and sustained only minimal injuries,” their post read.

Fire Chief Matthew Welander of West Mason Fire told NBC affiliate KING 5 that to rescue the teenager, they “hooked him up into a harness and brought him all the way back up.”

“He was walking down a washout that a lot of people use, and has kind of become a trail. It’s not a trail. It’s a washout, it’s too steep,” Weelander told the outlet. “And ended up all the way down at the river, sliding.”

Ripp told NBC News that every year, five to seven people fall from the High Steel Bridge and most die. The rescued teen was fortunate to survive.