Climber rescued at California’s Mount Shasta after crawling to shelter overnight
By Cecilio Padilla
A Mount Shasta climber was airlifted to a hospital after sliding about 500 feet down the mountain, injuring himself and then crawling through the night to reach shelter.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said the San Jose man reached the summit around 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10 while climbing the Avalanche Gulch route.
His cellphone died soon afterward, and friends reported him missing the next day when they couldn’t reach him.
Around 2 p.m., search crews including Mount Shasta climbing rangers, sheriff’s search-and-rescue volunteers and a California Highway Patrol helicopter began looking for him.
Authorities said the climber tried to slide down a snowy or icy slope during his descent but lost control and went about 500 feet down the mountain.
He suffered several significant cuts and injuries to his feet. The swelling became so painful that he took off his boots and kept making his way down Avalanche Gulch, crawling through the night, according to the sheriff’s office.
Around 4 p.m. Sept. 11, another hiker found the injured climber inside the Horse Camp Cabin and alerted climbing rangers.
Rescuers checked his injuries before a helicopter flew him from Horse Camp to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Officials did not release details about the man’s current condition.
The sheriff’s office used the rescue to remind climbers to tell someone their route and expected return time, carry backup navigation tools and leave enough daylight for the descent. Mount Shasta climbers are generally advised to turn around by noon even if they haven’t reached the summit.
