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A hiker clinging to a cliff along the Pacific Crest Trail was rescued Sunday after spending more than an hour in a precarious position near White Water, just south of San Bernardino County, California. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit captured the rescue on video.
The incident occurred late Sunday morning when the hiker, whose name has not been released, slipped down a cliff face and found herself stranded about 20 to 30 feet below the plateau. Exhausted and unable to move, she sent an emergency text to 911 using a Garmin-type satellite communication device. Rescue 9, a specialized aviation and technical rescue team, responded swiftly to her SOS.
Two helicopter pilots and three crew members located the hiker, clutching the cliff with a heavy backpack still strapped on, her shoes barely gripping the loose rocks. The rescue team described the situation as “intense” and “technical,” noting that the hiker’s arms and legs visibly trembled as she maintained a desperate hold on the rock face.
“This was an intense, technical rescue. Due to her very precarious spot, which she was exhausted from that position for over an hour, and with a heavy pack with unsure footing, the rescue specialist determined the safest option was to bear hug her and climb to the top. He just could not risk asking her to lift her arms, that she was clearly death gripping the cliff with, in order to place a rescue strap on.”
Given her position and exhaustion, rescuers determined that the safest course of action was to descend from the helicopter, bear-hug the hiker, and climb with her to the top. “He just could not risk asking her to lift her arms, that she was clearly death gripping the cliff with, to place a rescue strap on,” the aviation unit explained in a social media post. During the rescue, the hiker screamed and grabbed the rescuer’s ears for support, a moment captured in the bodycam footage released by the sheriff’s office.
Once both were safely at the top, the hiker appeared shaken but alert, suffering only minor scrapes to her legs and knees. Officials noted that she was in good spirits and did not require further medical attention.
This rescue is part of a surge in emergency calls along the Pacific Crest Trail this season, as trail conditions have worsened following last year’s Tropical Storm Hilary. Significant sections of the trail, including the Mission Creek/Whitewater area, remain damaged and are not slated for repair until 2026 due to federal funding cuts, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Earlier this month, the same rescue unit responded to another hiker in severe medical distress in the region.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office emphasized the importance of carrying emergency communication devices and remaining vigilant in challenging terrain.
