Climbing
California Highway Patrol were called to airlift out a man in his mid 20s last Thursday who had fallen up to 30ft whilst rock climbing near Tahoe City.
At around 11:10am on July 13th, Cal-Fire Grass Valley Dispatch requested a hoist for a fallen climber in the Twin Crags area. A CHP Helicopter 20 (H-20) in the Truckee area was able to attend and once on the scene liaised with the North Lake Tahoe Fire Department. Due to his serious lower body injuries it was decided the best course of action was to hoist him out from the base of the cliff and transfer him to CareFlight 3, who then flew him to Renown Medical Centre, Reno for treatment.
Luckily the victim’s friend had been carrying a cell phone so was able to make the 9-1-1 call, saving valuable time that will be beneficial to his recovery.
Here’s the official press release from CHP Valley Division:
“Placer County, Calif. – On July 13, 2017 at approximately 11:10 a.m., California Highway Patrol Helicopter 20 (H-20) was contacted by Cal-Fire Grass Valley Dispatch requesting a hoist for a fallen rock climber in the Twin Crags area near Tahoe City. H-20 was in the Truckee area and responded from Stampede Reservoir.
They arrived and spoke with North Lake Tahoe Fire Department personnel on scene. They advised a mid-20’s male had fallen approximately 20-30 feet and sustained serious injuries to his lower extremeties. With his injuries, the best means of extraction was a hoist inside a Bauman rescue bag. H-20 lowered a CHP-trained Helicopter Rescue Teammember with the rescue gear. The victim was placed inside the rescue bag and hoisted from the base of the cliff. He was flown to a pre-designated landing zone at the Tahoe City golf course and transferred to CareFlight 3 to save time. CareFlight flew the victim to Renown Medical Center in Reno for treatment.
Luckily one of the victim’s friends had a cell phone with him and was able to call 9-1-1 to summon help. This saved the victim valuable time and will be beneficial to his recovery.”
