Teen Rescued From Waterfall In Wis. State Park

HUDSON, Wis. (WCCO) -- A teenage boy is alive after a perilous fall down a Wisconsin waterfall.

This video shows the boy as he was on the brink of going over another, larger waterfall. It happened at Willow River State Park in Hudson.

(credit: Anonymous)

Some make the mile hike to Willow Falls for relaxation, some come for peace. But the situation that unfolded on June 13 was anything but peaceful.

Park Ranger Arek Feidt was high above the falls tending to a dying tree with Rob Juetten, a visiting arborist and professional competitive tree climber, when he heard a yell that someone needed help.

"It was just kind of on instinct of, 'We got to get this kid out of the water, what's the best way?' and we just used our best judgment at that time," said Feidt.

The boy said he was losing his grip. He'd fallen down the first fall and was about to fall about 25 feet more down the long fall. Juetten, who was still harnessed, clipped into a rock climber's grip and the two quickly improvised.

"Once he got the rope, we had him loop it around underneath of his arms," Feidt said, "that way we could use that to pull him out. We used I guess a tandem duo thing to pull him out."

Juetten said he had never gotten to put his rescue climbing training to practice until this incident.

Feidt says the biggest challenges were keeping the boy calm and fighting the wild river.

"People don't understand how strong water is and what the power it generates behind it," he said

It was the kind of situation onlookers wanted to capture, and that's what someone did from the observation deck. The man wants to remain anonymous but gave WCCO his video.

And that video shows what happened next. The boy's swim trunks went down the waterfall but he was saved in the nick of time. Firefighters arrived and wrapped him in a blanket.

"He was very shooken up," Feidt said. "He was scared, cold and thankful."

After an arborist and a ranger thought fast.

"We had the ropes and the right equipment, we're just kinda lucky," said Feidt.

The park ranger tells us if they would not have been there, the boy would have had to wait for the fire department to get in place, which could have taken up to a half hour because of the location.

And if you are thinking of visiting Willow River this summer, Feidt says the falls are not meant for swimming.