Hiker Rescued After Falling From Barn Bluff In Red Wing

RED WING, Minn. (WCCO) -- Barn Bluff, Red Wing's most famous landmark, is a place where hikers can enjoy a picturesque view of the Mississippi River and the historic town.

But the journey to the top can be dangerous. Over the years, joggers and hikers have fallen to their deaths on the difficult paths.

The latest fall happened on Sunday. Eighteen-year-old Trever Knutson wandered too far off the path.

"I slipped on some leaves, and I was sliding down," he said. "On the way down, my arm just kind of got stuck in between a tree, and I was hanging there and screaming for help."

He says he hung on 30 feet below the cliff for about a half hour until first responders arrived and brought him to safety.

Knutson was lucky.

Cpt. Trent Wentlandt, of the Red Wing Fire Department, says hikers need to stay on the trail and pay attention.

Rescue operations, he added, are dangerous for emergency responders, too.

"At the end of the day, you just got to stay on the trails and know your limitations," he said.

Knutson says he's happy to be a alive and doing fine with only a bruised shoulder and some scrapes on his leg.

"I'm going to stay on the trail this time, because I usually don't stay on the trail," he said.

Last year, an Iowa man fell to his death on Barn Bluff, and two other fatal falls have happened since 2011.