Safety at Cape Split

Is Cape Split the new Peggy’s Cove? Over the past few years, there’s been plenty of concern about people getting too close to the waves and being swept off the rocks at the iconic lighthouse, prompting discussion about whether some sort of fencing or additional signage is needed to protect people.

Now, it seems Cape Split is another spot that may need a similar discussion.

For the second Saturday in a row, the Kings County High Angle Rescue Team was called to the popular hiking spot July 16 to rescue hikers who went off the trail and became too exhausted to climb back up from Amethyst Cove.

The previous weekend, a Dartmouth woman fell off Cape Split while trying to rescue her dogs, which had also tumbled off the edge. Both she and the dogs were rescued safely.

Canning’s deputy fire chief, Jeff Skaling, says the team – which consists of firefighters from Canning, New Minas and Waterville – has been called out more than usual already this season. July 16 marked the third rescue call in a relatively short period of time – firefighters also responded to a call in May, when two men from Truro who were rappelling down a cliff, became stranded.

While it’s great that people are coming to Kings County to use the trail – and, presumably, spending money here in gas stations, restaurants and stores while they’re here – we should be concerned about the number of rescues that are being required at Cape Split each year. As Skaling says, “Any time you put anybody over the edge of a cliff on a rope, it’s a risky venture.”

An accident or medical emergency can happen, and that’s one thing, but firefighters are putting their own safety on the line for rescues that could be avoided if people did their homework before heading out on the trail.

Could more signage help matters? Maybe, but a little education – and common sense - goes a long way.