Just after 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 21, a number of public safety agencies began a technical rescue of an injured climber on Tahquitz Peak. The 21-year-old climber had fallen 60 feet and sustained an ankle injury.
Winds and an inversion layer initially prevented a full helicopter extraction from the site, according to CAL FIRE Senior Public Information Specialist Cheri Patterson. Responding firefighters hiked in about a quarter of a mile and were able to carry the injured man to a better location for helicopter extraction. When winds decreased, the helicopter was able to extract the injured climber and airlift him to Riverside County Regional Medical Center.
Patterson’s report stated the climber was in stable condition with a possible fractured ankle. Agencies that participated were the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, CAL FIRE, Riverside County Fire, Idyllwild Fire and the U.S. Forest Service. Mountain Battalion Chief Sean Dakin served as incident commander on the rescue.
The rescue operation wrapped at around 2 p.m.
