Hiker pinned under 6,000lb boulder for seven hours sees miracle rescue

A hiker’s leg was freed after being pinned down by an extremely heavy boulder on hillside in the dark

The team had to peform a diffcult hover rescue as there was nowhere to land (Inyo County Search and Rescue/Facebook)

A hiker was successfully rescued after being trapped under an estimated 6,000 to 10,000-pound boulder for seven hours in California’s Inyo Mountains.

The hiker was travelling below the Santa Rita Flat near Independence on Tuesday when his legs got pinned down by a huge boulder, the Inyo County Search and Rescue team said on Facebook.

The team were called out to rescue the man along with the help of a California Highway Patrol Central Division Air Operations helicopter.

Two members of the rescue team were dropped down by the helicopter onto the flat where the hiker was trapped, while seven other members and sheriff’s coordinators supervised the mission back at their base in Bishop.

The rescue mission proved to be tricky as it was well after dark when the team got there. The hiker was already in immense pain, especially in his left leg, which was pinned tightly to the steep hillside by the giant boulder.

The rescue team used leverages to free the hiker’s leg from the boulder (Inyo County Search and Rescue/Facebook)

In a race against time, as the hiker’s pain was getting more intense, the team started to set up a system of ropes, pulleys and leverage to try and shift the boulder enough to free the hiker’s trapped leg.

Luckily, they were able to get his leg from under the boulder, but the hiker was left with some serious injuries.

The rescue team had to work in the darkness on dangerous terrain (Inyo County Search and Rescue/Facebook)

A US Navy helicopter, despite the danger of flying in the dark next to the steep terrain, picked up the freed hiker.

There were no suitable landing zones for the aircraft, so a Nany medic rappelled from the hovering helicopter and hoisted the hiker back up with him to be flown to Fresno for treatment after midnight.

By the time the rescue team returned to the base in Bishop, it was 4am.

There were several challenges that the rescue team encountered, the Inyo County Search and Rescue team said, including getting to the scene of the accident that was on a steep, loose rocky terrain, moving a heavy boulder whilst dealing with the hiker who was in a lot of pain, then coordinating a helicopter pick up in the darkness of the night.

The Inyo Mountains are often travelled by hikers and rock climbers who want to challenge themselves on steep-walled canyons and rugged terrain, according to the US Bureau of Land Management.