Stranded hiker rescued from steep, unstable gully in Death Valley National Park

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — National Park rangers rescued a stranded hiker from a steep and unstable gully in Death Valley National Park following a challenging evening operation on Jan. 15.

As stated in a news release, two men from Belgium started out on what was described as a ‘short hike’ in Mosaic Canyon.

Parting ways

“At a canyon junction, the pair decided to split up where one hiker stayed on the main trail, while the other ventured into a side canyon, with plans to loop back to the trail further up,” according to the release. “However, the side canyon grew steeper and more unstable as the hiker climbed, eventually leaving him unable to proceed further or safely descend.”

Asking for trouble

The release said the man was stranded roughly a half-mile from the trail, wearing only a T-shirt and carrying no extra clothing, food, or water.

Fortunately, the hiker possessed a satellite-enabled phone, which he used to call for help.

Contact made

Park rangers were then forced to scale the steep, loose slope, where they eventually reached the man approximately 40 minutes after sunset.

Help from above

At that time, a VX-31, a rescue helicopter from the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, was also dispatched, however, rangers at the time deemed it too dangerous to hoist the hiker aloft due to the risk of downdraft winds from the chopper’s rotors dislodging loose rocks above him.

“To ensure a safe rescue, the park rangers tied webbing around a boulder to create an anchor point,” the release noted. “The rangers provided the hiker with a harness and helmet before lowering him down the steep slope. Both rangers then rappelled down the cliff to complete the descent.”

The entire rescue operation concluded successfully, with the group reaching the trailhead at approximately 7 p.m. No serious injuries were reported.