Three people stranded high on a steep Northern California mountainside were rescued by helicopter Sunday after a distress call brought crews racing to their aid.The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said the group was found on the Sierra Buttes, just south of a lookout tower near the mountain’s summit.Images and video released by officials show the helicopter near the rugged mountainside as rescuers worked to reach the trio.HELICOPTER RESCUE CREW CAUGHT ON CAMERA SAVING 2 CLIMBERS TRAPPED ALONG POPULAR CALIFORNIA BEACH CLIFFA rescue helicopter flies near the Sierra Buttes during an operation to reach three people stranded on a steep section of the Northern California mountain on Oct.25, 2026.
(Sierra County Sheriff's Office)The sheriff’s office was alerted around 2:30 p.m.after a Garmin inReach satellite communication device sent an SOS signal to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.Deputies launched a search and rescue response and called in the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office’s RAVEN helicopter crew.TOURISTS SEEKING 'DRAMATIC' PHOTO ON ISOLATED BEACH TRAPPED BY INCOMING TIDEThe Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN helicopter responds to a rescue on the Sierra Buttes, where three people were stranded on steep terrain on Oct.
25, 2026.(Sierra County Sheriff's Office)Once the crew spotted the stranded group, a rescue team member was lowered from the helicopter to reach them.
All three were then hoisted off the mountainside and flown to a landing zone, where Sierra County deputies were waiting."Due to the difficult terrain and hazardous location, a helicopter hoist rescue was necessary," the sheriff’s office said.NORTH CAROLINA CLIMBER AIRLIFTED AFTER PLUNGING 20 FEET DOWN GORGE, SUSTAINING SERIOUS INJURIESThe Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN helicopter sits on a paved landing area during a rescue operation on the Sierra Buttes in California on Oct.25, 2026...