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Authorities say it fell 30 feet down the waterfall and into a Butte County pool, which had to be used up to the end of the 150-foot rope and pulled out by helicopter over Memorial Day weekend.
The hiker, who had not been identified by authorities, was seriously injured and was unable to take the time to reach in the ambulance, rescuers said.
Authorities say the man was hiking with a friend near Feather River Canyon and Camp Creek Falls.
The hiker fell on granite rocks and onto the edge of the waterfall, then 30 feet into the pool below, according to Kevin Sawkup, a Butte County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue spokesperson.
The rescue team responded to the incident in Pulga and when they saw him seriously injured, they decided to resort to helicopters for rescue.
The injured man, conscious at the time, was put in a harness and flew while attached to the helicopter with a 150-foot rope, Soukup said. The man flew to the landing zone near Cresta Powerhouse and was transported to Enlo Flight Care for further medical care. The entire helicopter trip took from 30 seconds to a minute.
“This is the most dangerous type of rescue you do,” Soukup said. “In essence, helicopters are dangerous. Whenever someone has a traumatic injury, you have seen the risks and rewards and put them out as quickly as possible through the helicopter.”
The road left the area is about three miles, and the ambulance would not have made it in time, Soukup said. Whenever you have a traumatic injury, if the journey is a 30-minute drive, you must fly there, he said.
The rescue was a joint operation between Cal Fire and Butte County Fire.
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