CHP Rescues Two Climbers Stranded 600 Feet Below Highway

When two climbers found themselves trapped on a steep Big Sur cliffside 600 feet below the highway, a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew became their only hope for getting home safely.

The H-70 helicopter hovered above a ravine near Hurricane Point Saturday evening as a rescue technician descended on a cable to reach the stranded pair. Big Sur Fire had called for help from CHP's Paso Robles Air Unit around 6:24 p.m.

The terrain was so steep that the rescue technician couldn't safely disconnect from the hoist hook after reaching the first climber. Instead, he secured the climber in a rescue harness and both were lifted together to a staging area where other rescue personnel waited.

The helicopter returned immediately for the second climber, repeating the same risky maneuver. Both climbers made it out safely.

Why This Inspires

This rescue showcases the incredible skill and training that goes into saving lives in California's most challenging environments. The CHP air crew didn't just execute one difficult rescue that day.

Earlier on August 9, the same H-70 crew hoisted an injured 13-year-old hiker from Pinnacles National Park. Later that day, they rescued someone who suffered severe injuries in a waterfall fall at Big Sur Gorge.

They weren't done yet. The crew responded to another call in the remote Los Padres National Forest, where they picked up a hunter suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration and flew him to waiting medics in King City.

"These high-risk, low-frequency rescues are exactly what CHP Air Operations personnel continuously train for," the agency said. "There is no room for error when operating in steep terrain, under hoist, and in challenging environmental conditions."

Social media users flooded the CHP's video with praise after it was posted online. "Incredible rescue!! Well done guys!!" one person wrote. Another called it an "amazing job by all involved."

Four lives saved in one weekend by one crew demonstrates the quiet heroism happening every day across California's wild landscapes.