Rescuer Runs Blood Up Shortoff Mountain
EMT Will Soper ran 1.5 miles and 1,000 vertical feet in 31 minutes to deliver a blood bag to a critically injured climber in North Carolina's Linville
A climber needed a blood transfusion to survive after a 20-foot fall on Shortoff Mountain. Will Soper, a 28-year-old EMT and technical rescuer, ran the life-saving supplies up the rugged terrain.
The accident occurred on August 30. Jacob Gregory was leading an ascent with his son in the Linville Gorge when he fell, slamming into a rock and suffering critical injuries. The remote location of the climb made the rescue exceptionally challenging.
The Urgent Request for Blood
Soper was teaching a training session two hours away when the call came in. He drove to the trailhead, where a first wave of rescuers had already reached the patient. Gregory's condition was deteriorating. Paramedics on scene radioed that he was suffering internal bleeding and needed blood immediately.
"When I was about halfway up the mountain I heard Incident Command requesting me," Soper told Outside. He was instructed to turn around, run back to the parking lot, and retrieve a bag of blood and transfusion equipment. Soper knew the route well and, with over a decade of climbing experience, was prepared for the physical demand.
The Steep Delivery Run
Soper descended to the trailhead, placed the blood bag in a cooler with cold packs, and loaded it into a backpack. He then began the arduous climb back up. The rescuer covered 1.5 miles and gained roughly 1,000 feet in elevation in just 31 minutes.
"In all honesty, 'run' is a little bit hyperbolic," Soper said. "I maintained a fast hiking or jogging pace and made sure I didn't stop for any breaks." He focused on maintaining a steady pace to avoid overexertion or a dangerous slip on the steep, sun-exposed trail.
The final section was the most treacherous. "This was the most treacherous part as I was tired and it is the steepest, slickest section," Soper said. He scrambled down a gully to a rappel station atop an 80-foot cliff. There, he handed the backpack to colleague Robert Vasile, who was harnessed and ready to descend.
Vasile rappelled down smoothly and delivered the pack to the paramedics waiting at the bottom of the climbing routes.
The Challenge of Shortoff Mountain
Shortoff Mountain is notorious for rescues. Soper described the area as a notoriously remote and challenging place to access. The rescue took place at the bottom of a 2,800-foot-high route, which requires a 200-foot scramble to reach. The rappel station provides access to the base of the climbs.
"Although it is not the most populated climbing area, it is one of the most common areas for climber rescues," Soper said. While Soper made his run, other rescuers established technical rope systems to reach and treat the patient.
A Long Recovery Ahead
The victim was eventually transported to Atrium Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Gregory's family wrote on a GoFundMe page that he suffered multiple serious injuries and underwent emergency surgery on August 31.
"It is far too early to know what the coming weeks, months and possibly years will look like," they wrote. "His recovery will be long, and there are many unknowns ahead." The family thanked every responder who answered the call.
The massive rescue effort involved 24 agencies, including the North Carolina National Guard, which provided a Black Hawk helicopter. Burke County Search and Rescue was joined by teams from surrounding counties, North Carolina Emergency Management, NC HART, Charlotte Fire Department, and MedCenter Air.
For Soper, such extraordinary efforts are part of the job. "I am an ordinary person asked to do an extraordinary task," he said. He urged others who feel compelled to help to contact their local rescue squad or search and rescue team.
