Hiker trapped under massive boulder saved in dramatic rescue

2022-10-14

Hiker in Washington whose wrist and legs were trapped under refrigerator-sized boulder for over FIVE HOURS in area only accessible by ropes is saved in dramatic rescue with helicopter

Ben Delahunty became trapped Monday, officials said, after traversing dangerous terrain in the Lake Viviane area of the Enchantments mountains
Hailing from nearby Montana, 28-year-old Delahunty became trapped after venturing with an unnamed friend for several hours from the nearest trailhead
Delahnuty’s hiking partner then called local lawmen when he realized the boulder was too heavy even for the combined strength of the two men
Hopelessly pinned, Delahunty’s wrist and both legs were wedged under the boulder’s massive weight, leaving him seriously injured
Police said that Delahunty became trapped after standing on the boulder on the isolated cliffside, causing it to shift under his weight
It would be another three hours before rescuers arrived on the scene, due to the inaccessibility of the terrain the duo had wandered off into
It would be even longer – more than eight hours – before Delahunty was rescued

Dramatic video shows lawmen engaging in the thrilling rescue of a hiker trapped beneath a boulder deep in the mountains of Washington state, braving high-speed winds to airlift the 28-year-old to safety.

Ben Delahunty became trapped Monday, officials said, after traversing dangerous terrain in the Lake Viviane area of the Enchantments mountains, straying several hours from the nearest trailhead.

Hailing from nearby Montana, Delahunty thankfully was with a friend for the ill-advised trek, who called local police when he realized the boulder was too heavy even for the combined strength of the two men.

Officials said the rock was roughly the size of a refrigerator, and hopelessly pinned Delahunty, whose wrist and both legs had both become wedged under the boulder’s massive weight.

Police said that Delahunty became trapped after standing on the boulder on the isolated cliffside, causing it to shift under his weight.

Shortly after his friend became trapped, the unnamed partner called RiverCom dispatch at roughly 9:30 am, pleading for help.

It would be another three hours before rescuers arrived on the scene, and many more hours before Delahunty was eventually freed.

Dramatic video shows lawmen engaging in the thrilling rescue of a hiker trapped beneath a boulder deep in the Enchantment mountains of Washington state, braving high-speed winds to airlift the man, 28-year-old Ben Delahunty, to safety

Delahunty became trapped after standing on the boulder.

Chelan County Emergency Management Sgt. Jason Reinfeld told The Seattle Times that the hiker initially ‘felt really stable’ on the boulder, then all of a sudden, the ‘rock started to slide and he ended up underneath it.’

‘They were nearly on a cliff side and the boulder was also being held in place by a tree,’ Reinfeld added of the dangers of the rescue.

‘According to him, he was on the boulder, it felt really stable — he’s not a heavy person,’ Reinfeld added. ‘It just all of sudden started to slide and he ended up underneath it.

Heart-pounding forage released by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office showed the perils lawmen face while engaging in the rescue, protecting Delahunty from highspeed winds before he was safely airlifted away – more than eight hours after he’d become trapped

Upon arriving at the scene at roughly 12:20pm, officers from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office soon realized that a rescue would be even more difficult than anticipated, as paramedics were not able to reach the area where Delahunty was trapped without safety ropes.

Nearly five hours would pass before first responders could free Delahunty, removing the rock with an array of extrication equipment. However, the rescue was still far from over.

While freed from his craggy confinement, Delahunty’s legs were left badly injured by the crushing weight of the rock, leaving him unable to walk, officials said.

Rescuers then had to figure out how to get the injured hiker safely off the desolate mountainside without the use of his legs.

Nearly three hours would pass before first responders reached Delahunty, at which point they were able to remove the rock and free the hiker. But the rescue was far from over

Freed from his craggy confinement, Delahunty’s legs were left badly injured by the crushing weight of the rock, leaving him unable to walk, officials said. Rescuers then had to transport him safely from the desolate mountainside

Officials said that Delahunty became trapped after standing on the boulder on the isolated cliffside, causing it to shift under his weight

What’s more, by the time he was freed, winds had picked up so much that the first attempt to hoist him from his position by helicopter, as well as an attempt to wheel him to a nearby landing zone, were unsuccessful.

It would be another two hours, at around 4:45pm, before there was enough of a break in the weather for officials to again attempt a hoist operation – this time successfully.

Heart-pounding footage released by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office shows the perils lawmen faced while engaging in the rescue, before Delahunty was safely transported to Central Washington Hospital.

It shows the rescuers holding Delahunty in place as the group is pelted by deafening winds, as the pulsing blades of a helicopter overhead can be heard.

The footage shows the rescuers holding Delahunty in place as the group is pelted by deafening winds, as a helicopter can be seen waiting to safely transport the hiker away

Their efforts would not be in vain, however, with Delahunty finally airlifted away at roughly 4:45pm – more than eight hours after he became trapped

Their efforts would not be in vain, however, with Delahunty finally airlifted away at roughly 4:45pm – more than eight hours after he had become trapped.

Video of the operation shows rescuers being brutally battered by winds he was hoisted into the air by the aircraft.

Officials said Delahunty sustained ‘significant injuries’ to his leg but is expected to recover. The extent of his injuries have not been specified.

After Delahunty was saved, rescuers on scene hiked out again to the isolated trailhead, arriving at about 11 pm, to retire extrication equipment used in the complex rescue.

Due to the tools’ weight and the distance from any traversable trail, the equipment – which was used to pry Delahunty from the rock – was left nearby overnight and retrieved Tuesday by helicopter.

The incident occurred while Delahunty and his friend had been exploring the mountains near Lake Viviane

Several local agencies participated in the intricate operation, including members of Cascade Ambulance, Chelan County Mountain Rescue, Wenatchee Valley Fire Department, Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team, and Chelan County Emergency Management.

A union for firefighters in Wenatchee Valley posted the nail-biting video of the rescue.

The Chelan County Fire District 3 also provided additional equipment to free the hiker.

‘I’ve been involved in search and rescue for 15 years, and I haven’t seen a rescue as complicated as this one to accomplish,’ Reinfeld told the Times of the dangers of the successful operation.

‘Something heavy trapping somebody is dangerous if you can drive up to it with equipment but having to do it so remotely just adds another level of complication and hazard.’

Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Chief Brian Brett added that this was the first time his department had been forced to use extrication equipment for a mountain rescue.

‘This was definitely something a movie’s made out of,’ the fire chief said.

Delahunty remains hospitalized, but police say he is expected to recover.

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