A massive avalanche buried two thrill-seekers in a California mountain over the weekend, and it took them 11 hours to get to safety, authorities said.
On Saturday, two adventure-seekers were attempting to climb to the top of Mount Shasta when they encountered a wave of snow that sent one of them plummeting 300 meters down the mountainside. — better known as Avalanche Gulch, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office he said on Facebook.
Just before 12:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office received a 911 call from one of the injured climbers saying he was injured and stranded at 12,200 feet while his companion was lying buried further down the slope. was.
At that time, rescue efforts were difficult.
“High winds and poor visibility prevented a helicopter from safely landing near the climbers, so an SCSO search and rescue team, with assistance from the United States, was called in. [Forest Service] “A group of volunteer mountain rangers and professional mountain guides will begin the recovery operation on foot,” the office said.
As the weather cleared, the helicopter was eventually able to land just above the treeline and about 6,000 feet below the injured climbers. Rescuers climbed the mountain on foot during the night and were able to get the two men off the mountain and into a helicopter around midnight.
Both men, who are said to be experienced mountaineers who attempted to descend from the summit on snowboards, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and are recovering at a local hospital.
One of the climbers suffered a knee injury, and the other was thrown off the mountain by the avalanche, suffered a fractured femur and a “deep cramp-inflicted puncture wound,” officials said.
The sheriff’s office said the heart-pounding rescue effort should serve as a wake-up call about the dangers and unpredictability of the 13,000-foot mountain peak.
“It is noteworthy that the two climbers caught in the April 27 avalanche were highly skilled mountaineers with extensive experience on Mount Shasta,” the department said.
“Their ordeal, and the 11-hour rescue process that followed, proves that no amount of experience can escape the dangers encountered on Mount Shasta, and that ever-changing mountain conditions limit the time and resources needed for a quick recovery effort. A reminder that change is possible.”
Police have not released the names of the two injured climbers.
