A hiker found herself in a life-threatening situation on Sunday, April 13, 2025, when she became stranded on a steep cliff along the Pacific Crest Trail. After clinging to the rock face for over an hour, she was rescued by the Riverside County sheriff’s aviation team.
The drama unfolded around 10:11 a.m. when the hiker sent a distress text from her Garmin communication device. She was located in the Whitewater Preserve area, just south of San Bernardino County. Rescuers quickly responded to her emergency message.
Two helicopter pilots and three crew members arrived at the scene. They discovered the exhausted woman about 20 to 30 feet from the plateau, clinging precariously to the cliff. The situation was described as an “intense, technical rescue” by officials.
The hiker was wearing shoes that struggled to grip the rocky surface and was burdened with a heavy backpack. As a rescuer descended from the helicopter, he communicated with the pilot while moving along the cliffside. At one point, the hiker, in a panic, grabbed the rescuer’s ears instead of his body to hold on.
The aviation team later explained that they could not risk asking her to lift her arms, which she was using to hold onto the cliff. After a few tense minutes, the helicopter successfully lifted both the rescuer and the hiker to safety.
Once back on solid ground, the hiker quickly released her gear and reached for a water bottle. Fortunately, she did not suffer any significant injuries, although she had some scrapes on her legs and knees.
This incident is part of a busy season for the Riverside County rescue unit. Just weeks earlier, they had rescued other hikers in distress, illustrating the dangers that come with outdoor adventures. The aviation team expressed relief that this rescue had a happy ending, noting that both the rescuer and the hiker experienced a rush of adrenaline once they reached safety.