Sierra County deputies rescue three hikers from steep ridge

Rescue crews pulled three hikers from a steep slope on the Sierra Buttes in Northern California on Sunday. The group was located just south of a fire lookout tower near the summit of the 8,600-foot peak. The Sierra Buttes overlook the North Yuba River canyon.

The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office received an alert at approximately 2:30 p.m. A Garmin inReach satellite device transmitted an SOS signal to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Deputies initiated a search and rescue operation immediately. They requested assistance from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office also deployed its RAVEN helicopter crew.

Video released by officials shows the helicopter hovering near the rugged terrain while rescuers worked to reach the hikers. A team member was lowered from the aircraft to access the stranded group. The crew then hoisted all three individuals off the mountainside. The helicopter transported them to a landing zone where Sierra County deputies were waiting. The sheriff’s office stated that the hazardous location and difficult terrain made a helicopter hoist necessary.

The agency cited the professionalism and coordination of the involved teams in its statement. It noted that the RAVEN helicopter unit assists communities across the region. The rescue follows two other high-profile mountain rescues in the area earlier this month. In the first incident, a 39-year-old man from Florida was injured on the Whitney Glacier. He fell through a snow bridge and suffered a severe leg injury. Bad weather delayed his aerial extraction, and crews carried him to a landing zone the next day.

In the second incident, a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman from Salt Lake City were rescued from Mount Shasta. The pair had been trapped between cliffs for 36 hours. Authorities confirmed that both climbers were uninjured. Social media users praised the emergency teams for the Sierra Buttes rescue. One commenter noted that Sheriff Balaam uses the RAVEN team where needed. Others expressed gratitude for the coordination and skill displayed by the rescuers.

Officials did not release information on how the three hikers became stranded. They also did not specify whether any of the individuals were injured during the incident. The mountain’s fire lookout is operated by the Pacific Crest Trail Association. The rescue marked the third major extraction from Northern California mountains in the current month.