Utah climber gets stuck in cliff face crack for 12 hours

After 12 hours of hanging off a cliff face in Utah, this lucky climber was set free by rescue teams

A spotlight illuminates the rescue operation for a climber who was stuck in a cliff face for 12 hours (San Juan County Search and Rescue)

A climber in Utah has been rescued after he got his knee stuck for 12 hours in a crack in a cliff face, authorities said.

The climber, who has not been publicly named, slipped while climbing in Indian Creek on Friday night, San Juan County Search and Rescue said.

He had been climbing on the Generic Crack climbing route when he became stuck at around 8pm.

Indian Creek is a popular climbing area in the canyonlands in Utah. At its highest elevation, the cliff face is at 5,765 feet.

The man’s climbing partners tried to free him but weren’t able to dislodge his knee and called search and rescue.

A ground team of rescuers called in a medical helicopter for assistance in order to transport members to the cliff top. Rescuers then rapelled down to get close to the stuck man.

Multiple search and rescue teams attended the scene, including an air medical helicopter (San Juan County Search and Rescue)

Additional support was called in from Grand County Search and Rescue to continue working through the night.

After 12 hours, they were finally able to free the man and help him to the ground safely. The climber suffered only minor injuries.

Earlier this year, a female climber was killed in Utah when an ice column fell from a frozen waterfall.

She was part of a group of three who were climbing down Raven Falls in April, when the ice column detached.

The woman, 41, pushed her friend out of the way, saving her life, but the ice then trapped her underneath two huge blocks.