Transylvania County Rescue Squad

The United States Forest Service is assessing a possible wildfire in Pisgah National Forest near Looking Glass Rock. USFS crews and aircraft are currently on the scene. Please avoid the area while the USFS crews investigate and conduct their work.

TCRS & partners perform ground up rescue to access rock climbers stranded on Looking Glass Rock after an unplanned night out

At approximately 7:50 on Monday the 22nd Transylvania County Rescue Squad was dispatched to the Sunwall area of Looking Glass to search for an overdue climbing party known to have spent an unplanned night on the wall. The missing persons last made contact at 1am when they reported being stranded 200ft up a cliff while rock climbing. Connestee Fire Rescue was requested to provide UAV search capabilities and Henderson County Rescue Squad was requested to provide rescue support.

An initial drone search of Looking Glass's climbing areas was unable to locate the missing party. A hasty team deployed to the top of Looking Glass via the hiking trail to conduct a visual and auditory search. That team was equipped and prepared to rappel off the side of Looking Glass to access any victims from above. Containment search teams deployed to the Nose and the Southside areas to perform ground searches.

Command deployed 2 specialized teams of rescuers equipped to access victims from below by lead climbing from the ground. These rescuers use the traditional or “trad” rock climbing techniques that involve placing removable anchors in the rock as they climb while being belayed from below. At approx 10:10am rescuers made verbal contact with the missing party in the trees above the South Side climbing area. Rescuers climbed 200ft of vertical rock across 3 pitches to reach the stranded party. Both climbers were found uninjured having survived a night out in freezing temperatures by stuffing their clothes with leaves. Additional rescuers climbed 60ft up to establish an intermediate anchor. Both stranded climbers were lowered to the ground, evaluated by medical personnel, and transported back to their vehicle without incident. All units were clear of Pisgah National Forest by noon.

The stranded climbers were equipped for their climbing route but started late in the day and failed to bring a reliable light source. They made the great decision to stay put once night fell and avoided turning an unfortunate situation tragic. With days being short and nights being cold always bring an adequate light source and make plans knowing how much daylight is left. This rescue required the specialized expertise of TCRS & HCRS's rock climbers including several professional guides representing an immense amount of training and regional teamwork. A heartfelt thank you to all of the agencies that responded to support this effort, the families of those responders, and all of those in this community that put their trust in us.

On Wednesday, our crews responded to a call reported as a fall with injury. Upon arrival, the patient was found to be without a pulse. Through excellent teamwork between North Transylvania Fire Rescue, Transylvania County EMS, the Transylvania County Rescue Squad, and our dispatchers, we were able to achieve ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation). The patient was transported to the hospital, where MAMA then flew them to Mission.

While we don’t know the patient’s final outcome, this call highlights exactly why we do what we do. It also shows the incredible impact of volunteers in our community:
• 75% of the North Transylvania firefighters who responded were volunteers.
• 70% of the total responders from North Transylvania and the Rescue Squad were volunteers.

If you’re interested in learning how you can be part of our life-saving mission, please reach out—we’d love to share how you can serve your community.