Skip to content

Rescuers pluck climbers off rock face near Mt. Slesse

Chilliwack SAR team members used long-line suspension to assist climbers
18182531_web1_SAR-Mt-Slesse-Rescue-2
Two climbers, appearing as yellow dots on Mt. Slesse, await rescue after one suffered a fall. (Chilliwack SAR/Tony)

Chilliwack Search and Rescue members were dispatched by helicopter Monday afternoon to a rocky section of Mt. Slesse to assist a climber who had fallen.

Highly trained SAR members using suspension gear under the helicopter were able to pluck two climbers off the mountainside and transfer them to safety.

“The team got the call at 1300 hours after a climber had contacted emergency services for his partner who took a fall but was for the most part OK,” reported a Chilliwack SAR team leader on Facebook.

Due to the “highly technical terrain,” which is inaccessible by foot near Mt. Slesse, the ‘human external cargo’ (HEC) system was used by SAR members to extract the climbers using a long line for the transfer.

“A quick rescue operation” was executed and the pair were airlifted to the ground without further incident, as a result of the climbers having followed their safety plan and stayed put once the call for help went out.

There are helpful details about trip planning at AdventureSmart Trip Plan

READ MORE: A funding boost will help

READ MORE: Staying safe on the water this summer


@CHWKjourno
jfeinberg@theprogress.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

18182531_web1_SAR-Mt-Slesse-Rescue
Chilliwack Search and Rescue members used Helicopter External Cargo (HEC) techniques Aug. 19, in which a pair of rescuers, suspended by a longline, accessed the tough terrain, and plucked the climbers off the rockface near Mt. Slesse. (Chilliwack SAR/Tony)


Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
Read more