Three people stranded on a steep Northern California mountainside were rescued by helicopter on Sunday after a distress call brought emergency crews to their aid. The Sierra County Sheriff's Office said the group was located on the Sierra Buttes, near a lookout tower just south of the mountain's summit.
The sheriff's office was alerted to the situation around 2:30 p.m. after a Garmin inReach satellite communication device sent an SOS signal to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Deputies launched a search and rescue response and called in the Nevada County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office's RAVEN helicopter crew.
A rescue team member was lowered from the helicopter to reach the stranded group, and all three were then hoisted off the mountainside and flown to a landing zone, where Sierra County deputies were waiting. The sheriff's office noted that a helicopter hoist rescue was necessary due to the difficult terrain and hazardous location.
Authorities did not say how the three people became stranded or whether anyone was injured. The Sierra Buttes rise above the North Yuba River canyon, with a fire lookout near the top of the approximately 8,600-foot mountain, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association.
The rescue drew praise on social media, with commenters thanking the emergency crews and highlighting the RAVEN helicopter team's role in helping communities across the region.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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