Yosemite National Park rangers have rescued an injured rock climber who spent the night stranded on a sheer granite wall. The climber, in his 30´s, was suspended at an elevation of 5,700-feet on Cathedral Rocks, across Yosemite Valley from El Capitan.
Park spokeswoman Deb Schweizer says park rangers rappelled by helicopter to the climber. Once he was stabilized, the climber was hoisted about 300-feet straight up the rock face to a spot where he was hooked to a hovering helicopter around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon and hauled to El Capitan Meadow. He was to be transported to the parks medical clinic for treatment.
The climber was injured from either a fall or was struck by a rock Sunday. She said there was a report of a rock slide, or fall, in the area at that same time. She did not have a report on the climber´s injures. The man´s name was not immediately available.
He spent the night on the wall after a search and rescue crew was unable to reach him late Sunday.
Other climbers on the valley floor noticed the man was in distress and called rangers for help.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 5:27 pm