Firefighter repels down Mount Yonah to rescue stranded climber
Crews rescued a stranded climber from the face of Mount Yonah on August 25, 2026. (Credit: White County Public Safety)
WHITE COUNTY, Ga. - A stranded climber was rescued from the west face of Mount Yonah on Tuesday and escaped the perilous situation uninjured.
What we know:
White County emergency crews responded to a 911 call just after 7 p.m. Tuesday after a person became stranded while free climbing Mount Yonah.
The caller was stuck on a 20-inch by 20-inch ledge with no safe exit route.
First responders deployed a drone that located the climber about 260 feet up the mountain face.
Firefighter Will Roper then repelled down, secured the climber, and brought them to safety. The entire rescue operation took approximately 42 minutes from arrival.
"White County Public Safety would like to recognize the coordinated response of all agencies involved and the work of personnel who safely brought the incident to a successful conclusion," officials said.
What we don't know:
Officials have not released the identity of the rescued climber. It remains unknown what caused the individual to become stuck on the ledge.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from White County Public Safety officials, who detailed the emergency response and successful rescue operation.