Harrowing video shows airborne deputies save injured motorcyclist from brutal desert crash

A heart-pounding video shows California deputies plunging into a treacherous desert canyon to save a severely injured motorcyclist after a brutal crash.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office released a video showing officers conducting a swift operation to hoist the victim up to the helicopter Sunday afternoon.

“Kern County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue helicopter Air-5 responded from the Sheriff’s hangar to an inaccessible off‑highway vehicle (OHV) area northeast of Sand Canyon at the request of the Kern County Fire Department,” the Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.

“Fire personnel requested assistance in locating and accessing an injured motorcycle rider who was unable to be reached by ground EMS units due to the challenging terrain,” they added on.

After Air-5 rescued the victim, the rider was transported by a waiting ambulance at Highway 14 and Pine Tree Canyon Road to a local emergency room for treatment.

That same day in Northern California, three hikers were also airlifted in a dramatic overnight helicopter rescue.

The bikers became lost and disoriented at Limekiln State Park in Big Sur with one individual suffering a medical emergency. Big Sur Fire then received a satellite 911 call requesting help.

The rescuers spent about an hour and a half navigating trails so overgrown that crews needed machetes and chainsaws to clear a path through the vegetation.

An injured rock climber also had to be airlifted from a steep cliff in the Sierra Nevada after a bad fall earlier this month.

The climber had be hoisted after falling from Power Dome, a massive granite formation, and needed to be evacuated for medical treatment.

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