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English: The engineer paused, one leg dangling from each side of the safety railing, then proceeded to step over the edge of Oregon’s tallest lighthouse.

The network of safety lines responded correctly and the engineer began to descend slowly, checking the 93-foot-tall Yaquina Lighthouse for damage.

Then one of the ropes became stuck on the iron railing.

The engineer, suspended high above the Oregon Coast, needed someone to clear his rope by kicking it off the guardrail.

“He was trying to kick off the wall, but it was too far away,” said Jeremy Scroggins, one of the park rangers at Yaquina Head who assisted the engineering team last week.

“So you’re just kind of like – and I’m not the biggest fan of heights – now I gotta kick this guy off the ledge,” he lamented just slightly in a phone interview.

“Thanks bud!” yelled the engineer after the kick, as if it was no big deal.

Lighthouse inspections via rope rappelling continued for about 5 hours, checking all sides of the exterior for any signs of rust or cracking.

The entire inspection by the expert engineering team from North Carolina took about a day and a half. Inside, outside, top and bottom – everything was checked and documented, with a report coming on the structural integrity of the 19th century lighthouse that was first illuminated in 1873.

Over time, the nonstop elements on the Oregon Coast—wind and saltwater—can cause damage to the original ironwork or masonry, necessitating regular safety inspections, said Scroggins.

Lighthouse tours were only closed temporarily during the rappelling work, and Scroggins said the popular lighthouse and entire Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area remain open for visitors.

“It’s been standing for 144 years – it’s doing pretty good,” he said of the Oregon treasure.

How to visit Yaquina Head: www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/yaquina

Photos: Jeremy Scroggins, BLM