Incident Report


Andrew Freeborn
Incident Number
Incident tYPE
Incident Narrative
On Sunday, November 21, 2021 at approximately 2 P.M. the Kern County Fire Department was called to the Kern River Canyon near the Lower Richbar campground for a stranded hiker. The hiker slipped and fell while hiking several hundred feet up the canyon wall. He was unable to move from his location due to steep rocky terrain. The hiker called his family by cell phone and they called 911. 25 Firefighters responded to the scene including the KCFD’s Urban Search and Rescue team. Due to the steep and unstable location of the hiker, firefighters used KCFD’s helicopter 407 to rescue the hiker. Helicopter 407 lowered a rescuer to the hiker who secured him in a harness. Helicopter 407 then hoisted the hiker off the side of the mountain and delivered him to rescuers on the ground. The hiker was assessed and had no injuries.