Rock climber hoisted to safety by helicopter crew after falling 30 feet in Idyllwild

Wednesday, May 21, 2025
IDYLLWILD, Calif. (KABC) -- A Riverside County Sheriff's Department helicopter crew hoisted a man to safety on Sunday after he fell about 30 feet while rock climbing in Idyllwild, dramatic bodycam video showed.

The footage released by the Sheriff's Department on Tuesday shows a deputy being lowered by cable to where the injured man was perched on a rock face in the Lily Rock area. The climber had sustained a "limb injury," authorities said.

"Shout out to the Good Samaritan climber who assisted prior to us showing up," the agency said in a statement posted on social media.

The deputy secured a hook to the injured man's climbing harness before they were both hoisted up to the awaiting helicopter above.

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