A hiker was stuck under an estimated 10,000-pound (about 4,540 kilograms) boulder in California’s Inyo Mountains for seven hours until he was rescued, officials said.
Inyo County Search and Rescue was called for the rescue mission after the local sheriff’s office received a call about a trapped hiker on December 5.
The hiker had been trapped near Independence, where a California Highway Patrol helicopter was able to reach them.
Rescuers found the hiker below the Santa Rita Flat after dark “in great pain,” the organization said in a news release.
According to authorities, the hiker’s left leg was “pinned beneath a large boulder on a steep hillside” that was estimated to weigh up to 10,000 pounds.
READ MORE: Hiker who fell off cliff saved after boss calls him to ask why he is late
The rescue team used a system of “ropes, pulleys, and leverage” to move the boulder off of the hiker.
The news release said: “Due to the seriousness of the hiker’s injuries and the difficulty of the terrain, it was decided to extricate the hiker despite the darkness using a helicopter from US Naval Air Station Lemoore.”
A US Navy medic pulled the injured hiker up into the rescue helicopter and the hiker was flown to Fresno for treatment, officials said.
The hiker was not identified and his current condition is unclear.
Inyo County Search and Rescue said the mission was very difficult due to rocky terrain, limited resources, and the hiker’s worsening health.
According to the release, rescuers had to manage the hiker’s health for hours while waiting for the helicopter in the “chilly December darkness.”
The search and rescue team returned to their base in Bishop hours later.
Follow our social media accounts here on facebook.com/ExpressUSNews and @expressusnews
