CUSTER, S.D. – Emergency crews rescued an injured rock climber Saturday morning in the popular climbing area behind Sylvan Lake, utilizing specialized full-body immobilization equipment before transferring the patient to an air ambulance.

Custer County Search and Rescue personnel responded to the scene at 10:50 a.m. following reports of a fallen climber. Due to the severe nature of the dispatch criteria, a Life Flight helicopter was automatically launched alongside a crew from Custer Ambulance.

Upon arrival, first responders found that the climber, who had been suspended in the air at the time the emergency call was placed, had already been safely lowered to the ground by fellow climbers.

Low cloud cover in the Black Hills region prevented the Life Flight helicopter from landing at the designated landing zone near the scene. Instead, the aircraft successfully landed at Monument Health Custer Hospital to await the patient.

Search and rescue teams utilized a specialized vacuum mattress on the injured climber to ensure stability during extraction. According to agency officials, the device acts as an entire body splint, immobilizing the patient and providing critical support for the entire body. Responders noted the equipment is a game-changing tool in providing comfort for patients with broken bones during transport and while waiting for medical evacuation near Rapid City.

Emergency personnel carried the patient a short distance to the waiting Custer Ambulance, which then transported the individual to the hospital to meet the Life Flight crew.

A second climber was also evaluated at the scene for minor injuries sustained when the first climber fell.