Utah climber rescued from spot called ‘Certain Death’

Climber had to be hoisted out of the canyon by helicopter

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue teams try to rescue a climber in Utah who pulled a refrigerator sized rock onto himself in a region known as “Certain Death." (Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue)

A climber who suffered an injury in Utah was rescued from a region known as "Certain Death" after a rock the “size of a refrigerator” rolled on top of him.

Officials said rescue crews reached his accident site around 4pm, responding to a call that a climber had had an accident in the Gate Buttress area of Little Cottonwood Canyon, which is a part of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

The region is located about 15 miles from Salt Lake City, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue division.

A pair of climbers were plotting new routes to a waterfront area above a location that has come to be known as “Certain Death”, according to a statement.

“One climber had pulled off a large rock the size of a refrigerator that rolled over the top of him,” the department said in a statement.

Reports indicated that the rescue operation lasted approximately 90 minutes.

Rescue officials did not provide further comment on the climber's injuries or his condition.

Two ground teams of rescuers were sent to reach the climbers, but officials said that the difficult terrain and the nature of the climber's injuries required the climber to be removed from the cliff by helicopter.

The climber was hoisted off the mountain by a Life-Flight helicopter.

“Certain Death” was first scaled in 1972, and is known for being a difficult climb due to the wide cracks in the rocks.

“This route was probably named this scary name because it was first climbed back when large protection was unavailable,” a climber said on Mountain Project, a climbing show. “With modern big gear one could sew it up.”

The incident is the 11th search and rescue operation this year by the sheriff’s department team.

In April, two climbers were stranded in the same canyon and needed rescuing.

On average, the rescue team spends 5,000 to 7,000 hours responding to calls, training, and and conducting public awareness programmes.