Wolfe County rescue team splits up to help climber stuck nearly 30 feet in the air

WOLFE COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — “It’s been a very busy day for WCSART,” is how the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team introduced a social media post on Saturday evening, describing their afternoon after helping a climber who was at risk of suffering a nearly 30-foot fall.

Hours prior, rescue team members had been sent to the middle fork of the Kentucky River to recover evidence.

“While on scene, a second call was received for a climber that was stuck in a crack,” team officials said.

The team was split in half, with a group going to help the climber, who team members said was stuck nearly 30 feet off the ground.

The climbing route needed hands and legs to “jam” into small openings along the rock face in order to complete the climb. One of the climbers had reportedly gotten a leg stuck in one of these cracks.

“A team member (who’s a world class climber himself) ascended a rope to her location,” WCSART wrote. “Multiple attempts were made to free her knee from the crack, including a haul system to pull her free. Vaseline was also applied to her leg but this was also unsuccessful.”

Rescue team members said they eventually used a hammer drill to chip at the crack until there was enough space for the climber to get free.

“We are happy to report she was uninjured and was able to walk out,” the team wrote.