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INDEPENDENCE, Calif. — Rescue crews faced numerous challenges, from weather to altitude to steep terrain in trying to save a timber who was badly injured in a fall near the top of a California mountain.

Inyo County Search and Rescue said the climber called for help on the afternoon of July 2 after she fell near the West Chute of Mt. Williamson at an altitude of 13,600 feet — less than a thousand feet below the summit.

She told dispatchers she lost her backpack carrying all her food and supplies in the fall, and had badly broken her leg.

Search and rescue crews sent a first helicopter from the California Highway Patrol, but a sudden thunderstorm swarmed the summit area, forcing the chopper to divert. It instead picked up two more searchers, but a dense fog followed the storm to the summit, preventing another aerial rescue.

Climber rescued from atop Mt. Williamson on July 3, 2025. 

(Inyo County Search & Rescue / FOX Weather)

That night, the Navy sent another aircraft to drop four search and rescue teams off at the 10,500-foot level — the maximum altitude the chopper is rated to fly. Search teams then hiked up the 3,000 feet through the night to try to reach the climber, but found the terrain too difficult to reach her.

With the weather better on July 3, the CHP chopper returned to the climber, only to find that the steep, narrow chute where the climber fell exceeded the aircraft’s hoist capability. They instead dropped the rescue team a few hundred feet above the climber, and those members finally were able to get to her location, about 23 hours after her initial fall.

But the challenges weren’t finished. Another chopper was brought to the scene with longer hoist capabilities, but the extreme altitude made flying the chopper untenable, officials said.

Ultimately, the rescue team carefully moved the injured climber to a more open area, and a Black Hawk helicopter from the California National Guard was able to successfully bring the climber on board and fly her to a local hospital for treatment – some 28 hours after she fell, according to Inyo County Search and Rescue.

“This mission is a powerful reminder of the dangers of high-altitude mountaineering and the extraordinary efforts behind each rescue,” the Inyo County Search and Rescue said. “The climber’s bravery and composure in extreme conditions were remarkable.”