California
Video shows harrowing moment hiker rescued from California cliffside: ‘Absolutely vertical’
Coast Guard rescues hiker ‘barely holding on’ to cliff after 100-foot fall
The US Coast Guard rescued two hikers in distress along California’s Lost Coast on March 22, one of whom had fallen down a 100-foot cliff.
A hiker who was “barely holding on” after a 100-foot fall from a northern California cliff was rescued in the nick of time, officials say.
Local agencies and a U.S. Coast Guard team in Humboldt County were called to stage the rescue of two hikers near the picturesque and popular Lost Coast Trail, a 25-mile along the California coastline over 200 miles north of San Francisco.
Rescue crews found the hikers along a steep cliff edge in the Big Flat Area, about 10 miles north of an area known as Shelter Cove, according to a news release from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay.
One of the hikers who took a big fall clung to his hiking poles, about 60 feet above another unstable cliff, for dear life, the Coast Guard said.
“With no winds and limited power, the crew had to make quick decisions regarding fuel and patient delivery,” the agency said. “After jettisoning fuel and coming up with a plan to conduct 160-foot hoist, they were able to successfully extract the injured and bleeding patient from the cliff.”
Hiker’s companion was also rescued
After the dropping the injured hiker for emergency medical services, the Coast Guard returned to extract the hiker’s companion off a game trail.
“Both hoists required intense crew coordination due to the loose cliffside, dead trees, and limited power,” according to the Coast Guard. “The Shelter Cove Fire Ocean Rescue team provided crucial decisions and communication to make the evolution successful.”
Chief Nick Pape of the Shelter Cove Fire Department told SFGate that “below them was absolutely vertical, probably 60 feet to the boulders below.”
He told SFGate that the hikers were far off the designated Lost Coast Trail, popular among backpackers.
“They had no business being where they were,” he said.
The hiker who took the tumble suffered from a dislocated shoulder and unknown injuries that caused bleeding, while their companion was “cliffed out” but otherwise uninjured. Shelter Cove Fire Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for a status update on the condition of the injured hiker on Thursday afternoon.