Two climbers had to be airlifted to safety in the Big Sur area on Saturday, August 22, after they became stranded on a steep chute 600 feet below the road, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP) Coastal Division Air Operations. Footage released by CHP Coastal Division Air Operations shows the dramatic rescue near Hurricane Point on Saturday evening. Due to the steep terrain and the inability to safely dismount from the hoist, a helicopter rescue technician was lowered to assist the first victim while remaining attached to the hoist. Once the technician secured the first climber in a rescue harness and they were extracted, the technician was lowered once again to rescue the second victim using the same procedure. “These high-risk, low-frequency rescues are exactly what CHP Air Operations personnel continuously train for. There is no room for error when operating in steep terrain, under hoist, and in challenging environmental conditions,” officials said