OutdoorHub Editor: Keenan Crow 12.02.20
A dramatic search and rescue took place in the hills of California recently, after a hiker was pinned by a fallen boulder.
California Highway Patrol said a 911 call came in around 2:20 a.m. from a hiker who was in a heavily wooded area of Mt. St. Helena and was trapped after a large boulder fell on him, pinning his backpack and right arm.
According to CBS SF Bay Area, it took several hours before the man was finally able to rip his jeans pocket and reach his cellphone. Apparently, the hiker told dispatch he began his hike early in the afternoon and that the boulder fell on him at approximately 5 p.m.
To locate the hiker, a California Highway Patrol H-30 crew flew to the GPS coordinates provided by Cal Fire and pinpointed his location with the help of their FLIR system and night vision goggles. The hiker also provided some assistance by signaling the helicopter using a small flashlight.
After landing in an off-site location, it took patrol teams almost an hour to hike one mile to the downed hiker. Which ultimately lead to their realization based on the terrain and the extent of the man’s injuries, they were not going to be able to get the hiker off the mountain by foot.
The hiker’s injuries were not life threatening, however, so the crew determined a first light rescue was the most appropriate course of action.
While crew members waited on the ground for the sun to rise, they built a small fire with what survival gear they had at their disposal, and were able to keep the hiker warm as temperatures dropped in the low 30s.
Once the sun made its way over the horizon, the crew went to work to hoist the injured hiker out of the area he’d been trapped in and transported him to a waiting ambulance at the Calistoga Fairgrounds. He was immediately taken to a local hospital and treated for his injuries.
You can watch video of the dramatic helicopter rescue in the Facebook video below:
