In October, Derek Strittmatter took a 40-foot fall on El Capitan in Yosemite. He was attempting Salathé Wall, a challenging 35-pitch route. The fall occurred when a piece of fixed gear he believed to be solid failed, sending him tumbling and leaving him unconscious and dangling on his rope. Big whipper, not caught on camera. Watch his rescue below.

When Strittmatter awoke, injured and disoriented, his climbing partner Blake McDaniel discovered that his left elbow was shattered and there was a bone fragment protruding. Strittmatter’s memory was foggy, he struggled to recall basic details, even his own birthday, underscoring the severity of the fall. His teammates improvised first-aid immediately: they splinted his arm with tape and webbing, fashioned a sling, and called for help.

Given the remote and precarious location, suspended high on the cliff face, a standard ground evacuation was unthinkable. Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) determined that the only way out was via helicopter. But the terrain and high winds made the operation especially dangerous. Rescuers lowered a team member, Jesse McGahey, onto the ledge. He stabilized Strittmatter, placed him into a specialized torso harness (sometimes called a “screamer suit”), and prepared him for extraction.

The helicopter crew then executed a technically demanding rescue involving a “toss-across” and “bean bag” hoist maneuver, methods designed for steep, windy terrain when hovering directly overhead isn't feasible. McGahey was lifted out first, then Strittmatter was hoisted to safety. He was transported to a hospital in Fresno for urgent care. Reflecting on the ordeal, Strittmatter expressed deep gratitude for his climbing partners and the YOSAR team, and said he hopes to return to climbing once he recovers.

Yosemite Rescue