Helicopter crew hoists three hikers from steep California ridge
Sierra Buttes rescuers used a hoist to extract the group after a satellite SOS signal triggered a multi-agency response on Sunday.
By Marek Collins ·
Three hikers stranded on a steep ridge in Northern California were extracted by helicopter on Sunday. The group was located on the Sierra Buttes, just south of a fire lookout near the mountain's peak.
The Sierra County Sheriff's Office received a distress signal around 2:30 p.m. The alert originated from a Garmin inReach satellite device and was routed to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Officials immediately launched a search and rescue operation.
Deputies coordinated with the Nevada County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office's RAVEN helicopter unit. Once the air crew located the stranded individuals, a rescuer was lowered to the group. All three hikers were then lifted from the terrain and transported to a landing zone where ground units waited.
"Due to the difficult terrain and hazardous location, a helicopter hoist rescue was necessary," the sheriff's office stated. The agency credited the involved teams with professionalism and coordination in completing the operation.
The Sierra Buttes rise above the North Yuba River canyon. The mountain stands approximately 8,600 feet high and features a fire lookout near the summit, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Authorities did not release details on how the hikers became stranded or if any injuries sustained.
The rescue followed two other major incidents in the region earlier in October. Last week, a 39-year-old man from Florida was hospitalized after falling through a snow bridge on the Whitney Glacier. Crews carried him to a landing site the next day after bad weather blocked initial aerial attempts. Earlier in the month, a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman from Salt Lake City were rescued after a 36-hour entrapment on Mount Shasta.
Online reactions praised the regional emergency units. One social media user noted the value of the RAVEN team's support across the area. Another commenter expressed gratitude for the coordination displayed by the rescue staff during the extraction.
Source: Fox News
