North Carolina climber airlifted after plunging 20 feet down gorge, sustaining serious injuries

Climber Airlifted from Linville Gorge After 20-Foot Fall in Multi-Agency Rescue

A climber identified as Jacob Gregory was airlifted from a remote section of Linville Gorge in North Carolina on Sunday afternoon after falling roughly 15 to 20 feet from a rock face on Shortoff Mountain, according to Burke Rescue Inc. and search and rescue officials.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the area around 2 p.m. following reports of a fallen climber on a steep section of the mountain. According to a Facebook post from Burke Rescue and SAR, the lead climber was attempting to place gear approximately 40 feet above a ledge when the fall occurred. During the descent, the climber swung away from the climbing wall and struck an adjacent rock pillar, sustaining serious injuries.

First responders rappelled down to the patient to provide initial medical care. The remote and rugged terrain complicated the rescue, prompting a call for additional resources, including whole blood for the injured climber. One Burke Rescue volunteer covered approximately 1.5 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation in just 31 minutes on foot, carrying the blood to the scene to help stabilize Gregory for transport.

With the terrain too steep and inaccessible for a ground evacuation, a North Carolina Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team Black Hawk helicopter, known as "Kill Devil 244," was called in to perform an air rescue. The helicopter lifted Gregory off the mountainside and transported him to Charlotte for medical treatment.

The operation drew on two dozen agencies from surrounding counties, reflecting the scale and difficulty of the rescue in one of the more rugged areas of the North Carolina mountains. An online fundraiser shared by Burke Rescue described the effort as a testament to the coordination and courage of the responders involved.

"It took an extraordinary number of people, coordination, and courage to get Jacob from that remote mountainside to the care he needed," the fundraiser statement read. "To every responder who answered that call: thank you. You saved a life and brought a husband, father, brother, son, friend and loved one to safety."

Burke Rescue used the incident to remind climbers of the risks inherent in the sport, urging those heading out to know their abilities and use appropriate equipment for the conditions.

Shortoff Mountain is a well-known climbing destination within Linville Gorge, a wilderness area in the western part of North Carolina that draws experienced climbers and hikers drawn to its steep walls and isolated terrain.