The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit just released a video of an incredibly intense rescue operation from April 13th of a woman who had slipped and fallen partway down a steep cliff while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Weighed down with a heavy backpack and perched on steep and unstable ground, the woman managed to send an SOS via her Garmin inReach Mini but could not move from her position.
As the helicopter arrived they found the woman “death gripping the cliff” after spending over an hour clinging for her life. Rescuers noted her legs were shaking from exhaustion and determined the safest option was to “bear hug her and climb to the top” rather than securing her into a rescue sling which would have been a high risk maneuver as she would have had to momentarily release her grip on the wall, potentially leading to an uncontrolled descent.
After a few tense moments suspended under the helicopter only attached to her rescuer by wrapped legs and arms, the woman was dropped at the top of the mountain where she appeared to have suffered scrapped legs but was otherwise fine. After a brief cliffside respite to gather themselves, the helicopter dropped a rescue sling and the pair were hoisted to safety.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit Statement:
“The Pacific Crest Trail has been quite busy for us this season! Rescue 9 was called to the Whitewater area of the trail, just south of San Bernardino County for this stuck hiker.
She was able to send an emergency text to 911 via her Garmin-type emergency communications device. As you can see, this was an intense, technical rescue. Due to her very precarious spot, which she was exhausted from that position for over an hour, and with a heavy pack with unsure footing, the rescue specialist determined the safest option was to bear hug her and climb to the top.
He just could not risk asking her to lift her arms, that she was clearly death gripping the cliff with, in order to place a rescue strap on. As you can see, they both had quite the adrenaline dump once on top.”
