Stranded hikers location in Mosaic Canyon.
Stranded hikers location in Mosaic Canyon. Credit: NPS/Spencer Solomon

A stranded hiker was successfully rescued from a steep and unstable gully in Death Valley National Park by park rangers on Wednesday, January 15.

Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley National Park

According to the National Park Service, two Belgian hikers were hiking in Mosaic Canyon when they decided to split up at a canyon junction, with one man staying on the main trail and the other heading into a side canyon with the hope of looping back to the main trail. As the man continued up the side canyon, it grew steeper and more unstable, stranding him just about half a mile from the trail with only a t-shirt and no extra clothing, food, or water.

The hiker called for help with his satellite-enabled phone, and park rangers were able to reach the man just 40 minutes after sunset. A rescue helicopter from the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake was dispatched, but the risk of downdraft winds and loose rocks made it too dangerous to hoist the man.

Instead the rangers created an anchor point on a boulder and lowered the man down the steep slope with a harness and helmet, with both rangers eventually rappelling down the cliff after him to finish the descent. At the end, the group had reached the trailhead around 7 pm, and the operation was concluded successfully.

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