Heart-pounding footage shows the moment Las Vegas rescuers plucked a free-solo climber off a mountain face just before they lost their grip.
The video shows a brave cop rappelling to the climber’s position on the southern face of Lone Mountain and carefully climbing up a rock face to the unsecured and scared climber.
The rescuer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department hooks up the climber to himself so the helicopter could perform a “double-up Lezard hoist,” which would take them both off the mountain.
Both people were flown to an improvised landing zone and safely transferred to other first responders on the ground. The rescue was performed on Monday.
Police said the unidentified climber had some indoor climbing experience but was unprepared to scale the mountain. Las Vegas officials confirmed to The California Post that the individual “did not have any equipment” as they climbed the mountain.
The person did not sustain any injuries, police said.
Las Vegas officials warned any inexperienced daredevil climbers to think twice before scaling a mountain unprepared.
“Outdoor climbing requires skills, preparation and risk assessment that are very different from climbing in a controlled indoor environment. If you are inexperienced outdoors, seek instruction from a qualified guide or experienced mentor, stay on appropriate routes, carry the proper equipment, and don’t attempt terrain beyond your training or ability,” police wrote on X.
“Most experienced climbers understand these risks and take extensive steps to prepare before heading out. Unfortunately, our Search and Rescue team occasionally encounters situations where people venture into technical terrain without the experience or equipment necessary to safely get themselves back down,” they added.
Las Vegas had a high of a sweltering 106 degrees on Monday, according to Accuweather, adding a heat factor to the technical rescue.
Lone Mountain is situated in northwest Las Vegas and is a popular hiking spot for locals.
The mountain stands about 560 feet above the surrounding desert floor.
