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A California hiker has died after falling around 500 feet from a summit ridge in the state’sSequoia National Park.
On Monday, a 56-year-old San Jose man — whose identity has not been revealed — was hiking Mount Russell with two other people when he lost his balance and fell, according to anews releasefrom theNational Park Service(NPS.)
One of the individuals with him, a 45-yer-old woman from Milpitas, California, also fell after trying to grab him. She, however, was able to “self-arrest approximately 30 feet down,” per the NPS.
The third person in the hiking trio then used a satellite beacon to declare an emergency, before calling 911 for help on his cellphone.
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At the time of the incident, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' Helicopter 552 and other rescuers were already out pursuing another unconscious hiker from the Big Five Lakes area, the release said. The search and rescue team and Helicopter 551 from Yosemite National Park then responded to the Mount Russell incident.
The Yosemite team rescued the injured woman from the ledge where she was hurt and then transported her to Bishop, where she was admitted to a local hospital.
The unidentified woman was later flown to a hospital in Reno, Nevada, where she underwent surgery, according to the NPS.
The park service also noted that ahead of their rescue efforts, the Yosemite team was able to confirm the San Jose man died after his fall. On Tuesday, a Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks team retrieved his body and transferred it to a funeral home.
source: people.com
