A CHP helicopter and firefighters from Fort Ross, Annapolis and Sea Ranch on Tuesday rescued an injured hunter from the bottom of ravine in a remote area of northwest Sonoma County.
A call that someone was injured and needed help in the Old Mountain area off Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road came in at 10:14 a.m., according to Redcom, Sonoma County's emergency dispatch agency. Because of the remote location, at a ranch off a dirt road about midway between Lake Sonoma and Highway 1, it took responders until nearly 11 a.m. to arrive at the scene.
Even after that, it took some time to find the man, who had fallen about 40 feet down a steep ravine, said Fort Ross Fire Chief Steve Ginesi.
"It was a little bit of an operation," he added. The man's hunting partners were able to help rescuers find him. The CHP helicopter was eventually able to get in close enough to lower a rescue line and, with the help of Annapolis Fire Chief Dagan Holmes, lift him out, Ginesi said.
The rescue effort concluded at 12:54 p.m. when the man was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with moderate, non-life-threatening injuries, said CHP flight officer/paramedic Ben Schmidt, part of the flight crew with Officer Craig Koyl and pilot David Power.
Schmidt said the man is 57, but his name and city of residence were not available.
You can reach Staff Writer Jamie Hansen at 521-5205 or jamie.hansen@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter at @JamieHansen.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: