A helicopter crew rescued three people Sunday after they became stranded on a steep, rugged slope in Northern California’s Sierra Buttes, prompting an urgent emergency response.
The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said rescuers located the group below the summit, near a fire lookout tower high on the Sierra Buttes.
Photos and video shared by officials showed a helicopter hovering beside the imposing mountainside as crews worked to reach the stranded individuals.
A rescue helicopter flies near the Sierra Buttes during an operation to reach three people stranded on a steep section of the Northern California mountain on Oct. 25, 2026. (Sierra County Sheriff’s Office)
The rescue effort began at about 2:30 p.m., when a Garmin inReach satellite device transmitted an SOS alert to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Sierra County deputies quickly organized a search-and-rescue operation, requesting assistance from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN helicopter unit.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN helicopter responds to a rescue on the Sierra Buttes, where three people were stranded on steep terrain on Oct. 25, 2026. (Sierra County Sheriff’s Office)
After locating the group, rescuers lowered a member of the mountain rescue team from the helicopter. Each of the three people was then hoisted from the slope and transported to a landing zone, where Sierra County deputies were standing by.
“Because of the dangerous terrain and the group’s precarious position, rescuers had to use a helicopter hoist,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office RAVEN helicopter sits on a paved landing area during a rescue operation on the Sierra Buttes in California on Oct. 25, 2026. (Sierra County Sheriff’s Office)
Officials credited the participating agencies for their “professionalism, coordination, and assistance,” saying their combined efforts brought the operation to a successful end.
The Sierra Buttes tower above the North Yuba River canyon and reach roughly 8,600 feet, with a fire lookout positioned near the summit, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association.
Authorities did not release details about what led to the group becoming stranded, and it was not immediately clear whether anyone suffered injuries.
The dramatic Northern California mountain rescue quickly attracted praise online, with residents thanking the emergency crews and highlighting the RAVEN helicopter team’s support across the region.
“Seeing Sheriff Balaam send the RAVEN team wherever help is needed is outstanding and shows how valuable the unit has become throughout the region,” one commenter wrote.
Another person praised the operation, writing, “Really awesome work, coordination and knowledge by all involved. Impressive and grateful to have this in our community.”
“Hats off to our emergency special teams!!” another commenter wrote. “We are all very fortunate that you all do what you do.”
The Sierra Buttes operation followed two other notable mountain rescues in Northern California earlier in October.
The previous week, a 39-year-old Florida man was hospitalized after falling through a snow bridge and suffering a serious leg injury on the Whitney Glacier. Rescuers reached him the next morning, but worsening weather made an immediate helicopter extraction impossible. According to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, crews carried him to a suitable landing area the following day, where he could be flown out.
Earlier in the month, a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman from Salt Lake City were rescued from Mount Shasta after spending 36 hours trapped between cliffs. Authorities said neither person was injured.