From ledge to legacy: Stranded climber donates $10,000 to rescue crew

A man stranded on a rocky spire in the Washington Cascades for 18 hours is so thankful to the helicopter crew that saved his life that he donated $10,000 to their rescue organization.

The climber has chosen not to be identified.

But his story is being told across the Pacific Northwest after he got stuck on a rocky outcropping, unable to climb either up or down.

The man’s harrowing story began on the morning of July 30^th.

The 37-year-old set out to climb the 7,960-foot Mt. Daniel, a rocky pinnacle that juts into the sky amid mountain snowfields, northeast of Snoqualmie Pass and west of Leavenworth.

He began the arduous journey alone, departing from the Cathedral Rock trailhead at 5:00 am.

By late afternoon, he arrived at the summit of the towering peak.

As he started back down, the lone climber mistakenly took the wrong route.

It was a costly error that led him down a rocky, steep slope onto a small cliff ledge.

By this time, it was around 6:00 pm, with just a few hours of daylight remaining to figure out what to do.

With no safe path to follow to higher ground, or a secure passage down, it soon became clear he was trapped and would have to remain overnight on the razor-thin ledge on which he was standing.

Crew members of the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit en route to reach a man stranded on Mt. Daniel. (Photo: Spokane County Sheriff’s Office)

That meant surviving a treacherous night in that precarious position.

The climber later told rescuers he had serious doubts he would survive the ordeal, calling it the “toughest experience he ever had to face.”

He reported spending close to 13 hours climbing the mountain, then being stranded on the narrow ledge for another 18 hours.

Throughout the night, sleep was next to impossible.

He could doze off only for five to ten minutes at a time because of the cold temperatures and the risk of falling from the treacherous overhang.

The stranded climber was finally able to call for help.

The climber, pixelized here to remain anonymous, awaiting a rescue attempt by a Spokane-based helicopter team. (Photo: Spokane County Sheriff’s Office)

The request for assistance was handled by the Washington State Emergency Operations Center, which immediately contacted the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit (SRASU).

SRASU dispatched its Rescue Three crew, which includes two pilots, a crew chief, and two helicopter rescue medics.

Rescue Three launched from Spokane’s Felts Field at 8:00 am that morning, and arrived at Mt. Daniel about three hours later.

Using GPS coordinates from the climber’s last-known location, pilots Dave Valenti and Jack Scanlon maneuvered the chopper to a spot near the side of the cliff.

The crew located the man.

In video released by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, you can see the man in the difficult situation under the crags of the tall mountainside, standing on a ledge estimated at just a few square feet.

Using a powerful cable lift, crew chief Jeff Welton lowered helicopter rescue medic Scott Niebuhr down, directly onto the ledge next to the climber.

It’s the type of situation Rescue Three trains for.

Niebuhr quickly secured the climber.

He used an air rescue vest and what is called a “quick pick” configuration.

Then, after Niebuhr secured the climber’s backpack and belongings to his flight harness waist belt, the mechanical lift did its job and hoisted both men from the narrow ridge into the helicopter cabin.

After getting the exhausted climber to safety inside, Niebuhr and another helicopter rescue medic, John Dugger, began a medical evaluation.

Despite the harrowing, high-altitude episode, they determined he was in good condition and did not suffer any major injuries.

The Rescue Three crew then transported him safely to the ground and cleared him medically to return home.

The stranded climber, safely back on the ground. Last week, he donated $10,000 to the rescue organization that saved his life. (Spokane County Sheriff’s Office)

The chopper safely transported the climber to the ground and medically cleared him to return home.

While the rescued man still wishes to remain anonymous, he also wants to express his gratitude for the efforts that saved his life.

Last week, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported the grateful climber made a $10,000 donation to support the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit.

But he still wishes to remain anonymous.

In the video released by the sheriff’s office of the daring helicopter rescue, the man’s image is pixelated at his request.