A free climber was rescued Tuesday from Mount Yonah in North Georgia after becoming stranded on the side of the 3,166-foot mountain ridge. The climber called 911 around 7 p.m. to report that he was unable to ascend or descend the rock face.
White County Public Safety officials used a drone to locate the man, who was on a 20-inch by 20-inch ledge approximately 260 feet up the mountain. White County firefighter Will Roper then rappelled down the cliff to reach the stranded climber.
Drone footage showed Roper maneuvering to the climber, securing him in a harness, and clipping him to a rope. The climber was then hoisted to the top of the mountain. The entire operation took about 42 minutes.
Roper, who has experience with technical rescue training but had not previously performed a mountain rescue with a live subject, described the experience as nerve-wracking. He noted that the climber remained calm and mentioned having picked the wrong route on Mount Yonah despite prior experience with the mountain.
Roper expressed satisfaction in being able to use his training to help the individual.