Three Teens Hoisted From Sierra Buttes Cliffside
The boys climbed rocks toward the summit and couldn’t descend.
2 min read
A Sierra Buttes fire-camera image shows the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN helicopter during the October 25 rescue.
Sierra County Sheriff’s Office
SIERRA BUTTES – Three teenage boys visiting from the Folsom area were rescued by helicopter on Sunday, October 25, after climbing rocks south of the Sierra Buttes lookout and reaching a point where they could not get back down, Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher said.
The boys, ages 16 and 17, had started a day hike at Sardine Lake with the Sierra Buttes as their destination. Fisher said they chose to climb the steep rock formations toward the summit instead of taking the stairs to the fire lookout.
The boys used a Garmin inReach satellite communication device to send an SOS. The sheriff’s office said it received the alert from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services at about 2:30 PM.
Sierra County launched a search and rescue response and requested help from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN helicopter.
Nevada County’s rescue team said 20 members responded from Nevada City and Truckee. The plan called for the helicopter crew to attempt a hoist, with the Nevada County team available in case a rope rescue was needed.
The RAVEN crew located the group on steep, exposed terrain. Fisher said the significant drop-offs made a ground rescue difficult and potentially dangerous. A rescue team member was lowered from the helicopter, and all three boys were hoisted from the cliffside and flown to a landing zone where Sierra County deputies were waiting.
The RAVEN helicopter on the ground.
Sierra County Sheriff’s Office
Fisher said the boys were tired and cold but in good physical condition after the rescue. They were returned to their vehicle.
Fisher urged visitors to stay on established trails and understand the difference between hiking and technical rock climbing. “Know your limits, and just because you can climb up a particular rock formation does not mean you can safely climb back down,” he said.
Fisher pointed to earlier incidents to illustrate his point. In June 2013, a California Highway Patrol helicopter rescued two teenagers from a ledge near the summit, Fisher recalled. in February 2022, A 36-year-old hiker died after falling above Young America Lake.
Fisher also encouraged visitors to carry a reliable means of emergency communication, such as an inReach device or a phone with satellite-texting capability, because cellular coverage is unreliable in many parts of Sierra County.