Hiker removed by helicopter from Skaha Bluffs

A hiker in the Skaha Bluffs area of Penticton was airlifted to safety Sunday after running into some trouble in some difficult terrain.

Penticton Search and Rescue received a request shortly before 1 p.m. Oct. 10 to assist Penticton Fire Department with an evacuation where a hiker had injured her leg while hiking and needed help getting out of the popular hiking spot, PENSAR said.

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Fire crews determined due to the location of the subject it would be best if PENSAR could evacuate the subject by air, PENSAR said in a press release.

“A helicopter crew came into Skaha Bluffs, landed and then flew in and dropped down where they packaged the young lady up and then extricated her (and moved her) out to the parking lot where we transferred her over to BC ambulance service,” Randy Brown from PENSAR said.

“By the time everybody got there, there were some other people with her but it look like she had hurt herself while climbing and people brought her down to the lower ledge and that’s where we found her… she had a lower fractured leg, I believe.”

0:50 Injured hiker rescued in Penticton after spending chilly night clinging tree

Brown said PENSAR usually gets three to four calls annually to Skaha Bluffs to assist climbers who have injured themselves either through falls or trips.

2:12 Extended interview with Randy Brown