‘Lucky to be alive’: Dirt biker shares rescue story after trail collapse near Mt. Rainier
Nov 25, 2025, 8:11 AM
A photo of the biker being rescued near Mt. Rainier. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A Puyallup man said he’s lucky to be alive after surviving a nearly 200-foot fall down a cliff near Mount Rainier.
Anthony Harris told KIRO 7 he was dirt bike riding with friends around 12:40 p.m. last Friday. He said he stepped off his bike for a water break, helmet in hand, when the ground suddenly gave way beneath him.
“I didn’t have time to react. It was instant,” Anthony said. “Within a moment’s notice, I was flying down this cliff. No way to grab anything, there was nothing to brace onto, so I was just going down, and I woke up in the hospital.”
The Buckey Fire Department and the Pierce County Search and Rescue Team set up a high-angle rope system to pull him up from the cliffside.
Anthony sustained multiple fractures in his face, including his orbital socket, nose, and upper jaw, during the fall
“I felt helpless. I just… I felt lost. I didn’t know what to do,” said his wife, Emily.
It was a call she never saw coming. They said it took three hours before he could be airlifted out.
“I was terrified. I was so scared… I was gonna lose my best friend,” she explained.
Anthony spent a couple of days in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
It was particularly challenging for the Harris family, as Anthony is the sole provider for his wife and three children.
With the holidays approaching, the family is focusing on his recovery.
“Financially, it might be a little bit tight for a while, but they’re just… The best present for them is that he got to come home,” Emily said.
Anthony will be out of work for the next few weeks as he continues to recover.
If you’d like to help with medical expenses, you can donate to the family’s GoFundMe here.
The full video of Anthony’s rescue can be found here.
