A hiker from San Jose has died after falling 500 feet from the summit ridge of Mount Russell on the eastern boundary of Sequoia National Park, park officials said in a statement.
The victim, 56, was part of a three-person hiking group on Memorial Day.
Park officials said a 45-year-old woman from Milpitas was able to grab him as he lost his balance, but also fell and was able to "self-arrest" about 30 feet down. The third member of the hiking group was able to use a satellite emergency locator and call 911 from his mobile phone.
A helicopter rescue team from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks was already engaged in an operation near Big Five Lakes at the time, so a Yosemite National Park search and rescue team responded instead.
The female was airlifted to a hospital in Reno, Nevada. She’s since undergone surgery. The man’s body wasn’t retrieved until Tuesday.
Rescue teams responded to eight separate search and rescue incidents during the holiday weekend, park officials added.
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