CHP air unit rescues 2 stranded climbers in Big Sur

Two climbers who became stranded in Big Sur on California's Central Coast were brought to safety following a weekend rescue that was captured on video, according to officials.

Around 6:20 p.m. Saturday, Big Sur Fire called the Paso Robles Air Unit of the California Highway Patrol to assist in a rescue near Hurricane Point, about 20 miles south of Monterey. When the helicopter crew arrived, they found the two climbers, stranded on a steep chute about 600 feet below the highway.

Officials said the steep terrain and the inability for the climbers to safely dismount prompted a helicopter rescue technician to be lowered to assist the first victim. The technician secured the victim in a rescue harness, and the pair were extracted to awaiting rescue personnel at the staging area.

The helicopter returned to the scene and the same procedure was used to rescue the second victim, officials said.

"These high-risk, low-frequency rescues are exactly what CHP Air Operations personnel continuously train for. There is no room for error when operating in steep terrain, under hoist, and in challenging environmental conditions," the agency said in a statement.

Additional details about the climbers were not immediately available.

Hurricane Point is located outside the evacuation zone of the Timber Fire, which started in the Los Padres National Forest on Aug. 8. As of Monday, the fire has burned more than 12,000 acres and is about 25% contained.