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Two Arizona hikers were rescued from a less than 2-square-foot surface while hiking Sterling Trail in Oak Creek Canyon.
Coconino County Sheriff's Office said a 25-year-old Cottonwood man called police for help Wednesday afternoon.
The caller and a 20-year-old Sedona woman were hiking near Vulture Arch when they got stranded on a rocky outcrop, approximately 30 feet below the top of the canyon and approximately 50 feet above the canyon floor, according to CCSO.
CCSO said their technical rescue team found steep angles and unstable sandstone surfaces that made it difficult to anchor safety lines. Eventually, a rescuer attached to a safety line secured to a tree at the top of the canyon and was able to reach the victims. The rescue took approximately 14 hours.
One of the victims collapsed from fatigue. Both victims were treated and released.
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