THREE members from Hamilton CFA were part of a multi-agency effort to rescue an injured rock climber at Laharum throughout Wednesday night and into Thursday.

The 22-year-old Adelaide man was located in Mount Stapylton by officers from Stawell at about 7.30pm Wednesday, after he fell approximately 2.5 metres while rock climbing and sustained lower back injuries that left him unable to walk.

Dangerous weather conditions prevented the rescue from occurring on Wednesday night, resulting in the Ambulance Victoria Wilderness Response team camping with the man.

A CFA spokesperson said the Hamilton Brigade’s trek to the scene was arduous and took CFA crews approximately 90 minutes to reach the patient, as he was not in an easy to access spot and the weather was not clear.

A Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) spokesperson said firefighters also attended the scene on Thursday morning to assist with the rescue.

“More than 10 FRV firefighters trained in high angle rescue techniques from Ballarat Fire Station and Warrnambool Fire Station were deployed to the scene,” they said.

“FRV crews assisted and worked in conjunction with Victoria Police and Victoria SES to rescue the injured rock climber.”

The rescue was a large, coordinated effort involving Hamilton and Laharum CFA units, Natimuk Rescue Group, FRV 67 and 70, Horsham and Ararat SES units, Victoria Police Search and Rescue, Ambulance Victoria, and Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS).

The CFA spokesperson said once HEMS arrived the patience was able to be rescued and airlifted to hospital within 30 minutes, with the Hamilton Brigade returning to their station just after 4pm on Thursday.