Hiker slides nearly 1,000 feet down treacherous ice chute, California rescuers say

A 45-year-old hiker who tumbled 900 feet down an ice chute in the Cucamonga Wilderness in Southern California required a helicopter rescue, sheriff’s officials said.

The Los Angeles man fell while hiking with his wife on the Ice House Saddleon Sunday, Dec. 19, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

An ice chute is a steep, narrow gully in a cliff or slope formed by erosion, according to Sierra Descents.

The hiker came to rest against some bushes but could not climb the hundreds of feet back up to the trail, sheriff’s officials said.

A sheriff’s helicopter found the man clinging to the bushes and a rescue helicopter lowered a medic to him, the release said.

The helicopter then airlifted the hiker to waiting deputies and medical personnel. The release did not detail the man’s injuries or medical condition.

This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 7:27 AM with the headline "Hiker slides nearly 1,000 feet down treacherous ice chute, California rescuers say."