A rescue operation unfolded in California’s Fresno County after an injured climber fell down a steep 700-foot cliff. A helicopter was called in to reach the climber, who was in urgent need of extraction and medical care, according to People.
The California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Coastal Division Air Operations shared the moment in a statement on Facebook along with video footage of the rescue. The team had responded to reports of a climber falling from the cliff, known as the “Power Dome”, on September 11. The granite cliff, located near the Courtright Reservoir, is in the southwest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
An H-70 helicopter arrived at the scene from its base at Paso Robles Airport in western California. The helicopter had a crew of two, including a pilot and a flight officer/paramedic, who also works as a hoist operator.
The CHP said that, with the help of a helicopter rescue technician (HRT) from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the H-70 carried out a hoist extraction of the injured climber.
The climber was then taken to an awaiting ambulance. The CHP also said that its crews rely on the joint efforts of partner agencies, particularly the HRT team members, to ensure the safest outcome. It thanked all the agencies that participated in the rescue. The identity and condition of the climber have not been shared.
