A free climber who became stranded on a cliff face in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in North Georgia called 911 for assistance on Tuesday evening.
The climber, whose identity has not been released by authorities, was stuck on the west face of Mount Yonah, a 3,166-foot mountain ridge. According to White County Public Safety officials, the man contacted 911 at approximately 7 p.m. and reported that he was unable to safely climb up or down the mountain.
Using a drone to locate the climber, authorities determined that he was standing on a 20-inch by 20-inch ledge, approximately 260 feet up the mountain. White County firefighter Will Roper was dispatched to the scene and rappelled down the mountain to reach the stranded climber.
Roper secured the climber in a harness and clipped him to the rope, before hoisting him to the top of the mountain. The entire rescue operation took about 42 minutes to complete, officials said.
In an interview, Roper described the rescue as the first time he had to respond to a situation involving a live subject on a mountain. He stated that the climber was remarkably calm and even joked with him about his rescue skills.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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