A 39-year-old Florida man was rescued from a glacier on California’s Mount Shasta after suffering frostbite and a broken leg in what authorities described as one of the most challenging rescue missions they had ever undertaken.
The climber reached the summit around 3 p.m. on Oct. 18 while wearing only sweatpants, a sweatshirt and running shoes. On his way down, he fell through a snow bridge and severely injured his leg.
He called 911 at 5 p.m., but high winds and poor visibility prevented a helicopter from landing on the mountain for two days.
More California stories: Nineteen Hawaii cats relocated to San Diego after Hurricane Lowell
More California stories: Endangered frogs raised at Aquarium of the Pacific return to the wild
More California stories: Rare squid sighting off California highlights deep-ocean mysteries
In the meantime, two U.S. Forest Service rangers tracked the man on foot. They reached him on Oct. 19, provided medical aid for his injuries, frostbite and the onset of hypothermia, and stayed with him through the night at 12,500 feet.
On Oct. 20, additional search-and-rescue personnel reached the injured climber and began carrying him down the mountain. Despite hazardous terrain, rockfall risks, freezing conditions and winds of 50 to 60 mph, rescuers were able to move him to a landing zone.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter then took advantage of a break in the weather to reach the team and airlift the climber to a hospital for treatment.
The multi-day operation involved several agencies and more than 30 rescuers.
This article originally appeared on Storyful: More than 30 rescuers help save injured Mount Shasta climber
Leave a Reply