Three Rescued from Steep California Mountain Ridge by Helicopter
A distress call from a satellite device led to a helicopter hoist rescue for three stranded individuals on the Sierra Buttes.
Three people were rescued by helicopter on Sunday after becoming stranded on a steep section of the Sierra Buttes in Northern California. The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office received an SOS signal from a Garmin inReach satellite communication device around 2:30 p.m., which alerted the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Deputies responded to the distress call and enlisted the aid of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office’s RAVEN helicopter crew. Officials released images and video showing the helicopter operating near the rugged mountainside as rescuers worked to reach the trio.
Once the stranded group was located, a rescue team member was lowered from the helicopter. The three individuals were then hoisted off the mountainside and transported to a landing zone where county deputies were present. The sheriff’s office stated that a helicopter hoist rescue was necessary due to the difficult terrain and hazardous location.
The Sierra Buttes are an approximately 8,600-foot mountain range located above the North Yuba River canyon. The exact circumstances that led to the group becoming stranded were not immediately clear, and authorities have not disclosed whether anyone was injured.
The rescue operation received praise on social media for the professionalism, coordination, and assistance provided by the involved teams. The incident follows other recent mountain rescues in Northern California, including a climber injured on the Whitney Glacier and two individuals rescued after being trapped for 36 hours on Mount Shasta.