Hiker ‘death-gripping’ cliffside couldn’t raise arms for rescue, CA officials say
A hiker found herself in a precarious situation clinging to a cliff, leading to “an intense, technical rescue,” California officials said.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit responded to a report of a struck hiker along the Pacific Crest Trail near Whitewater in Riverside County on April 13, the agency said in an Instagram post.
The hiker was found “death-gripping” the side of the cliff, deputies said.
Despite her “precarious” situation, the hiker managed to “send an emergency text to 911 via her Garmin-type emergency communications device,” researchers said.
The hiker held her position, clinging to a cliff “with a heavy pack and unsure footing,” for more than an hour, rescuers said.
A video shared by the agency shows rescuers in a helicopter prepping to hoist the hiker from the area.
“It’s looking fairly steep,” a rescuer can be heard saying as they approach the hiker desperately holding on to the cliff.
Slowly, a rescuer is lowered to the ground, then rappelled up toward the hiker
“Don’t move. Just stay there. Just stay there,” the rescuer says to the hiker.
The hiker’s legs tremble as she continues to hold her position.
“The rescue specialist determined the safest option was to bear hug her and climb to the top,” the agency said. “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.”
The woman can be heard screaming as the rescuer tries to grasp her, the video shows.
“I’m falling,” she yells. “I’m falling.”
“No hold on to me!” the rescuer shouts.
After a few tense moments, the rescuer holds the hiker as the helicopter crew moves them up the cliffside.
“I got you right here on the rock,” a rescuer from the helicopter can be heard saying.
The two make it to secure ground, but the woman remains motionless as she lies on a rock.
“OK. You’re safe. Get up,” the rescuer tells her as he tries to coax her to roll to her side.
The woman eventually sits up, and rescuers hoist her from the area.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 1:21 PM.
