On a crisp January Saturday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Search and Rescue (LVMPD SAR) team successfully carried out a high-stakes operation to rescue four climbers stranded on a route named "Cat in the Hat" in Pine Creek Canyon. According to a post shared by the lvmpdsar Instagram account, the climbers ran into issues around 3 pm when their rope became irrevocably stuck, slamming a halt to their ascent at the 2nd pitch.
The rescue procedure was set in motion with two SAR lead climb volunteers making the trek and beginning their climb toward those in need. The pair managed to reach the stuck climbers, fending off both gravity and circumstance. During this same window of time, a separate rescue was underway on the canyon's opposite side. AIR3, an aircraft on standby, was thus diverted and a SAR officer was inserted into the fray, facilitating the extraction of the unfortunate climbers via a skid landing executed on a narrow ledge they had found precarious safety upon.
In what became a timely retreat from peril, the four climbers were airlifted and shuttled directly to the Pine Creek parking lot. Upon landing, they were met and transferred into the care of the Bureau of Land Management and LVMPD resident officers, ensuring that their unforeseen adventure concluded with feet safely planted on solid ground.
After the climbers were safe, SAR teams shifted their focus to another operation in the canyon. All SAR operations that day were completed, despite the challenges of high-angle mountain rescues.
