High Steel Bridge
The teenager survived falling 400 feet on some steep terrain under Mason County's High Steel Bridge
(Photo : K5 News)
High Steel Bridge
The teenager survived falling 400 feet on some steep terrain under Mason County's High Steel Bridge
(Photo : K5 News)

A teenager survived a 400-foot fall from a Washington state bridge into a deep canyon over the weekend in an area that was desiganted as "slippery, steep and unsafe for exploring," officials said.

The Mason County Sheriff's Office said a 19-year-old man fell 400 feet into the canyon under the High Steel Bridge in Shelton on Saturday, and made it out alive with only "minimal" scrapes.

The sheriff's office Special Operations Rescue Team responded to the scene along with West Mason Fire. Responders used a rope and harness to hoist the unidentified teen to safety in a two-hour rescue mission.

Authorities say that several people fall off the bridge each year, despite posted signs warning that the areas around the bridge are "slippery, steep and unsafe for exploring."

"Luckily the 19 year old made it out alive. A lot of our rescues aren't so lucky," West Mason Fire wrote on Facebook alongside photos of the rescue and of the posted warning. "Remember, do NOT hike down next to the bridge."

--with reporting by TMX