Around 8:00pm on August 1, Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call for a subject who had taken a tumbling fall down the Eberbacher Ledges on the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, the trail that accesses the Mountaineer’s Route on Mt. Whitney.
The subject, an experienced hiker who had summited Whitney multiple times, took a small misstep on the sloping ledges while descending and fell approximately 40 feet before coming to rest on a lower ledge. The hiker’s two companions descended to his location where they found him unconscious and with numerous lacerations. After several minutes the subject regained consciousness and became more oriented.
Inyo County Search & Rescue arrived on scene just before midnight. They found the subject in good spirits despite significant pain. After an initial assessment, the patient attempted to hike out with assistance but it became evident that trauma to his ankles left him unable to bear weight. Inyo SAR monitored his condition throughout the night. At 6:25am CHP – Inland Division Air Operations H-80 arrived and hoisted the patient to safety where he was transferred to medical care.
