Injured hiker and rescuer spend stormy night stuck below cliff, California officials say

A hiker and rescuer, both injured, spent a stormy night below a Yolo County cliff before they could be airlifted to safety, California officials reported.

Rescuers from several fire agencies responded Friday, Dec. 29, to a report of an injured hiker along Highway 16 near Rumsey in the Capay Valley, the Golden Gate Division Air Operations unit of the California Highway Patrol said in a news release.

The hiker had fallen about 100 feet from a cliff, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said.

Rescuers had to cross Cache Creek on a boat and climb a half-mile to the fallen hiker in darkness and heavy rain, officials said. One rescuer also fell and was injured.

“Due to rain, darkness, and poor visibility, ground resources decided to wait until daylight to extract the injured climber,” the release said.

CHP and U.S. Coast Guard helicopters also could not reach the hiker and rescuer because of poor visibility, officials said.

On Saturday morning, Dec. 30, a Coast Guard helicopter airlifted the hiker while a CHP helicopter airlifted the injured rescuer, officials said.

The hiker had critical injuries while the rescuer’s injuries were minor, officials said. The helicopters also airlifted the other rescuers to safety.

The Capay Valley is about 45 miles west of Sacramento.

This story was originally published December 31, 2023 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Injured hiker and rescuer spend stormy night stuck below cliff, California officials say."