Woman rescued after caught in N.J. rock slide

The Jersey Journal (New Jersey)

WEEHAWKEN, N.J. — Police say a 19-year-old Union City woman fell and slid an estimated 50 feet down the Palisades cliffs early yesterday morning, landing on a ledge about three-quarters of the way down.

Heydee Berrios, a 2007 graduate of Emerson High School, was being treated at the Jersey City Medical Center for a broken right leg, a cut on her head requiring three stitches, bruises, and possible internal injuries.

Police said the fall was an accident.

Weehawken Police Detective Debby McGorty said Berrios had been at a party in the area on Saturday night, had argued with her boyfriend, and walked to Boulevard East and 49th Street to calm herself.

At some point, McGorty said, Berrios climbed over a wrought-iron fence separating a public walkway from the cliff face and stood on the rock outcropping.

McGorty said Berrios then sat down on the rock, leaning against a tree branch, but the branch apparently gave way, causing the woman to start sliding down the hillside.

"She was going into trees, banging around, when she landed on a rock ledge, with foliage holding her back," McGorty said.

But Berrios, who never lost consciousness, remained alert and started yelling for help, McGorty said.

Her cries were heard by a NY Waterway security employee who was on duty at the Port Imperial ferry terminal, just across from Port Imperial Boulevard, at the base of the hillside, at about 5:20 a.m.

McGorty said the employee couldn't see Berrios but figured that someone was in trouble and alerted police.

As Port Authority and Weehawken police and North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue firefighters trained in emergency rescues, along with Jersey City Medical Center paramedics, made their way up the angled hillside to reach the woman, a NHRFR truck extended a ladder up the cliff.

Berrios was stabilized, placed in a harness and lowered by rope to firefighters waiting with the aerial ladder.

NHRFR Co-Director Jeff Welz said it took rescue personnel about a half hour to bring the woman down to safety. An ambulance took her to Jersey City Medical Center.