SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, June 10, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Search and rescue crews recently assisted a BASE jumper who got cliffed out in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Crews responded at 4:17 p.m. Thursday to assist a hiker who was cliffed out near the Gate Buttress, Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue stated on its Facebook page.
The hiker started at 5 a.m. and intended to climb to the ridge separating Little Cottonwood Canyon from Bells Canyon, and then BASE jump into Bells Canyon, according to the sheriff’s office.
“He was unable to safely climb to the ridge, descended, and ultimately felt unsafe to move any further,” the post states, noting the climber did not have a headlamp or any extra clothes.
A team of four rescuers ascended the Black Pearl gulley, where a large natural rockfall occurred in 2021, the post states.
“There was loose rock and lots of boulders that easily shifted when weighted. Once the team reached the start of Perla’s Ridge, two members staged there to remain out of rockfall hazard while the other two attempted to reach the patient,” the post states.
Because of the rockfall hazard, a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter was called to hoist the climber and rescuers off the mountain, according to the sheriff’s office. The rescue took about 6 1/2 hours, officials said.
“This kind of terrain is not trivial, and this area is rarely climbed compared to the north side of the canyon,” the post states.
