Climber was trapped under boulder at Pinnacles

Pinnacles National Monument on Monday was informed that a climber was pinned under a boulder and in need of assistance. When National Park Service personnel arrived on scene the trapped climber was free from the boulder after his climbing partner dug out the talus from under him, allowing him to scramble out, according to a statement from Pinnacles.
Soon after, the climber’s condition deteriorated and he was nearly unresponsive when park personnel reached him, according to a statement. His updated status is unclear.
The climber was on a loose rock slope with thick shrubby vegetation, making reaching the climber difficult. Park personnel hiked a mile to reach the climber with a litter and other medical equipment.
A Calstar helicopter responded and touched down on a nearby ridge, about a 20 minute scramble over the talus, to drop off a medic and flight nurse to assist with the rescue.
Once the climber was secured for movement the park set up a belay system and NPS and Calfire personnel lowered the climber approximately 50 feet down a steep slope to a place where California Highway Patrol could hoist the hiker up to their helicopter. The Calstar crew and helicopter met the CHP helicopter in the parking area to transfer the climber to Calstar for transport to a Bay Area hospital.
The rescue took just under three hours.