Crazy mountain climbing helicopter rescue story:

[speeder]

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-08/after-climber-survives-gruesome-injury-in-sierras-it-takes-five-helicopters-to-rescue-her

[pwd72s]

Probably one hellofa story. But can't see it without disabling my ad blocker & subscribing to the Times...

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Probably one hellofa story. But can't see it without disabling my ad blocker & subscribing to the Times...

Here's one that doesn't seem to be behind a paywall. At least, I wasn't asked.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-08/after-climber-survives-gruesome-injury-in-sierras-it-takes-five-helicopters-to-rescue-her

[Scott Douglas]

I read via the first link.

It'll be interesting to see who ends up paying for all the helicopters. Those things aren't cheap to fly.

[Seahawk]

I thought the article was well done...I especially enjoyed this:

A spokesperson for the Search and Rescue team did not respond to requests for comment, but in a social media post they praised the stricken climber’s courage throughout the harrowing ordeal.

“Enormous bravery and fortitude was shown by this patient, and all involved were impressed by her ability to remain calm, collected, and alive,” they wrote.

Hard to do for most...well done to her.

Then this:

With daylight running out and the storm raging, a call for help went out to the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. Even the Navy couldn’t get directly to the stricken woman, but just before midnight, they dropped four rescue climbers at 10,500 feet — about 2,000 feet below her.

I have flown out of China Lake a lot in the past...THAT must have been sporty!

Well done to all.

[edgemar]

Poor LASD's helicopter couldn't hack it at that altitude. How embarrassing!

[speeder]

Originally Posted by edgemar

Poor LASD's helicopter couldn't hack it at that altitude. How embarrassing!

Not embarrassing at all, the Navy helicopter could not either. Only the Blackhawk helicopter could get above her. Did you note the altitude?

[edgemar]

Their Super Puma seems like it could do it. Wonder what stopped them:

Performance:
Service ceiling: 5,180 m (17,000 ft)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_AS332_Super_Puma

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by speeder

Not embarrassing at all, the Navy helicopter could not either. Only the Blackhawk helicopter could get above her. Did you note the altitude?

Interesting tidbit...the China Lake SAR folks were in, I think, either an Navy HH-60 or CH-60S, both of which have a ceiling of 10,000ft DA:

Density Altitude (DA) = Pressure Altitude (PA) + [120 * (Outside Air Temperature (OAT) - Standard Temperature (ISA))]. Density altitude represents the altitude at which the air density is equivalent to that at a standard atmosphere, and it's a crucial factor in aircraft performance.

The reason is that Navy 60's have fuel pumps external to the gas tanks is due to shipboard requirements. At 10K DA, the pumps "cavitate", which is an issue. Notice at midnight, much lower temps, they were able to get to 10,000ft MSL (mean sea level) and drop two folks.

Army 60's have their fuel pumps internal to the tanks and have a much higher DA ceiling than the Navy birds.

If I went into anymore detail I will hear foreheads hitting keyboards as I sit

Great stuff.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

I was just up in Bishop doing some trout fishing and hiking near the PCT trail.
Common nice thing to do is to give a ride to backpackers up the mountain to near the trailheads.
Only time I ever pick up hitchhikers. Love hearing their stories and plans.

Gotta say, so many Women tackling the length of Pacific Crest Trail this year. Young folks today have a lot of adventure in them.

My wife and I still laugh about our one attempt at backpacking, baby wipe baths, dehydrated food, NO wine, cowboy camping, Marmots trying to eat everything and trying to sleep near 10K altitude.
But, the scenery is off the charts, the fish tastes good and its good to get out of your comfort zone.

I will concede though disaster is just a bad step away. Having slid down a talus slope once in shorts and bleeding like a pig at altitude on blood thinners was a big lesson. Thank god for Bleed Stop.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Interesting tidbit...the China Lake SAR folks were in, I think, either an Navy HH-60 or CH-60S, both of which have a ceiling of 10,000ft DA:

Density Altitude (DA) = Pressure Altitude (PA) + [120 * (Outside Air Temperature (OAT) - Standard Temperature (ISA))]. Density altitude represents the altitude at which the air density is equivalent to that at a standard atmosphere, and it's a crucial factor in aircraft performance.

The reason is that Navy 60's have fuel pumps external to the gas tanks is due to shipboard requirements. At 10K DA, the pumps "cavitate", which is an issue. Notice at midnight, much lower temps, they were able to get to 10,000ft MSL (mean sea level) and drop two folks.

Army 60's have their fuel pumps internal to the tanks and have a much higher DA ceiling than the Navy birds.

If I went into anymore detail I will hear foreheads hitting keyboards as I sit

Great stuff.

Super cool! Thanks for the extra detail. I'm guessing Navy helos aren't often having to land on ships at 15k'.

[ckissick]

Exciting story with a great outcome.

As a SAR member, I've trained with a CA National Guard Black Hawk helo. Maybe the same one? It was out of Sacramento, I think. Getting hoisted up to it is something you don't forget. The smile doesn't leave your face until after you get home. Those SAR people in Inyo County are in a different league, though. I've been on searches where the subject was extracted by helo, but it was pretty tame. We just used a helo because it was too far to walk. For them. Not us. I had to walk back.

BTW, rescues don't typically cost anything. If it did, lost people would hesitate to call for help. And possibly die. Oh, and always carry a Garmin In-Reach! It saved her life.

[David]

We were 20 minutes into our 10 day Mont Blanc hike last year when we rounded a corner and saw a group of folks who did not look like casual hikers. They weren't, they were a French mountain rescue team and next to them a group of somewhat horrified hikers. One of their group had just fallen off the mountain and the helicopter we had just heard was lifting him off the mountain. We never heard if he lived or not but it sure made the rest of our hike a little more on edge. We paid special attention to the helicopters on the rest of the trip. Not sure whether they were rescue or sight seeing but all of them were steady as a rock as they flew close the cliff faces.