A cable car used to winch supplies up Mount Pisgah to the transmission tower on its summit stopped working while the man was using it, and he was left 400 feet down a steep slope in more than 2 feet of snow. The man called his employer, who contacted 911 at 2:40 p.m. 

Cold temperatures and heavy snow on the mountain made access to the area treacherous. The man was ultimately rescued by a special response unit that rapelled from a helicopter and hoisted him back up.

However, a ground rescue operation was attempted before the chopper got called in. Crews from Haywood County Search and Rescue, Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, Haywood County Emergency Management, Lake Logan Fire Department and Cruso Fire Department all responded to the initial call, joined by technical mountain rescue teams from Henderson, Buncombe, Avery and Mitchell counties — about 30 people total. 

Simply getting to Mount Pisgah’s base was the first challenge.

The N.C. Department of Transportation brought in plows to clear the way up U.S. 276 and along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the parking area at the Mount Pisgah Trailhead, but the going was slow. As concern grew that the stranded man would grow hypothermic, another call went out — to the N.C. Helo-Acquatic Rescue Team, known as NCHART. The crew is part of N.C. Emergency Management, a combination of rescue technicians and helicopter pilots who train together monthly for all types of high-stakes rescues. 

The Charlotte-based crew got to the site 3.5 hours later, hoisting the stranded man by about 9 p.m. and flying him to the Asheville Airport, where medical teams determined him to be in good condition and not in need of further treatment. 

“It takes remarkable effort and skill to execute a strategic rescue mission in harsh winter conditions,” said N.C. Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry.

A total of 56 people participated in the rescue.