A climber was airlifted to hospital after falling around 20 feet during a lead climb on Shortoff Mountain in North Carolina's Linville Gorge, sustaining serious injuries. The incident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, prompted a large-scale rescue effort involving paramedics, volunteer rescuers and a military helicopter crew, highlighting the risks of lead climbing on remote, rugged terrain.

The climber, identified as Jacob Gregory, was attempting to place gear roughly 40 feet above a ledge when he fell 15 to 20 feet and swung into a rock pillar, according to Burke Rescue Inc. and its search-and-rescue team. Paramedics rappelled down to treat him, and a volunteer ran 1.5 miles and climbed 1,000 feet in elevation in just 31 minutes to deliver whole blood to stabilise him. A North Carolina Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team Black Hawk helicopter, "Kill Devil 244", ultimately lifted him from the mountain to Charlotte for treatment, in an operation involving roughly two dozen agencies.