Jacob Gregory Airlifted After 20-Foot Linville Gorge Fall Involving 24 Agencies

Q: What extreme physical measures did a lone volunteer take to keep a severely injured climber alive on a remote mountain ledge?

A lone Burke Rescue volunteer made a rapid mountain run to deliver lifesaving blood: he covered about 1.5 miles of rugged Linville Gorge terrain, climbed roughly 1,000 feet in elevation, and did it in 31 minutes while carrying whole blood to the injured climber. That effort came after medics reached Jacob Gregory on a remote ledge below Shortoff Mountain and determined he needed blood to be stabilized before evacuation. Rescuers had already rappelled down to treat him after his 15- to 20-foot lead fall left him with serious injuries, including major lower-extremity fractures. Multiple reports identified the volunteer as Will Soper, a Burke Rescue EMT and technical rescuer. His run through steep, difficult terrain was critical because the climber was far from easy road access and the rescue scene was too remote for quick conventional transport. The blood delivery helped buy time until a North Carolina Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team Black Hawk helicopter, “Kill Devil 244,” could hoist Gregory out of the gorge and send him on for trauma care in Charlotte. Officials and local reports highlighted the volunteer’s run as one of the most extraordinary parts of the larger multi-agency rescue.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 1

Jacob Gregory was airlifted to Charlotte after a 15- to 20-foot lead fall on Shortoff Mountain in North Carolina's Linville Gorge left him seriously injured Sunday.
Burke Rescue said Gregory was placing gear about 40 feet above a ledge when he swung away from the wall during the fall and struck a rock pillar.
Paramedics rappelled down to assess him, and a rescue volunteer ran 1.5 miles with whole blood—gaining 1,000 feet in 31 minutes—to help stabilize him.
A Black Hawk helicopter from the North Carolina Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team, called in because of the steep terrain, lifted Gregory off the mountain as two dozen agencies joined the operation.
Burke Rescue said the mission underscored the risks of climbing in remote terrain and urged climbers to know their limits and use proper equipment.