Two hikers slide down mountainside after one slips on icy trail, Nevada rescuers say
Two hikers slid down a mountainside after one of them slipped on an “extremely” icy trail, Nevada rescuers say.
Three hikers were on Mount Charleston’s South Loop Trail the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 12, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Search and Rescue said in an Instagram post.
As the hikers made their way down the trail, one of them slipped, rescuers said.
The hiker slid into one of the other hikers, causing both to slide down the “steep (icy) side of the mountain,” according to rescuers.
The first hiker slid 100 feet down until they “collided with a tree causing severe leg injuries,” rescuers said.
The second hiker continued to slide 100 more feet, rescuers said. They came to rest on a ledge but were not hurt.
The third hiker called 911 from the trail, the group said.
Rescuers said they lowered one team member to the first hiker via helicopter.
Then, rescuers said they tried to send in two additional rescuers to the area by helicopter; however, gusty winds prevented them from doing so.
Instead, four team members and seven volunteers trekked several miles to reach the hikers, the group said.
The rescuers intended to use a rope rescue and carry out the second hiker.
But just as they arrived, weather conditions improved, allowing the rescue helicopter to return.
A rescuer was lowered to the second hiker, and they were airlifted from the mountain, the group said.
Rescuers said they led the last hiker, who was not hurt, back down the mountain.
Mount Charleston’s South Loop Trail, a 16.3-mile out-and-back trail about a 40-mile drive northwest from Las Vegas, is considered challenging, according to the hiking website AllTrails.
This story was originally published December 13, 2024 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Two hikers slide down mountainside after one slips on icy trail, Nevada rescuers say."
