Here’s the Wild Yosemite Rescue Maneuver That’s Saving Lives on El Capitan
A climber who fell while scaling Yosemite’s legendary El Capitan was rescued in a daring high-angle operation on October 20, thanks to a specialized rescue method unique to Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) teams, assisted by a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter crew, used what’s known as the toss-across rescue technique — a precision maneuver designed in the early 2000s by Yosemite rescuers specifically for stranded climbers on sheer rock faces.
The complex method involves inserting a National Park Service ranger onto the cliff above the injured climber using a helicopter. From there, rescuers toss a weighted beanbag attached to a line down to the climber, even in high winds. That line allows the climber to pull up a stronger rope that can be attached to rescue gear for evacuation.
High winds initially delayed the mission, forcing the helicopter to make multiple passes before the team could safely deploy. Once secured, Ranger McGahey provided emergency medical care and coordinated the helicopter evacuation from the wall.
“Thanks to the team’s swift response and expertise in high-angle rescue, the injured climber received urgent surgical care and is now recovering well,” Yosemite Search and Rescue wrote on Facebook.
