# Climber crawls through night after 500-foot fall on Mount Shasta

> A San Jose man survived a massive fall and spent hours crawling to safety after his phone died on the mountain.
- Title: Climber crawls through night after 500-foot fall on Mount…
- Summary: A San Jose man survived a massive fall and spent hours crawling to safety after his phone died on the mountain. Always tell someone your hiking plans, carry…
- Keywords: mount shasta, california, san jose, avalanche gulch, shasta-trinity national forest, climbing accident, mountain rescue, siskiyou county sheriff, glissading, horse camp cabin, self-rescue, news
- Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/us/injured-climber-crawls-through-night-safety-falling-500-feet-down-california-mountain
- Author: Bonny Chu
- Published: 2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mount shasta, california, san jose, avalanche gulch, shasta-trinity national forest, climbing accident, mountain rescue, siskiyou county sheriff, glissading, horse camp cabin, self-rescue, news
## 500-foot fall down Mount Shasta
A San Jose climber lost control while glissading down Avalanche Gulch after summiting. He fell 500 feet, suffering severe lacerations and foot injuries.
## Phone died, boots off, crawling
His cellphone died shortly after reaching the summit. Painful swelling forced him to remove his boots and crawl through the night to Horse Camp Cabin.

> The climber told rescuers that he had attempted to glissade down the mountain, lost control, and slid approximately 500 feet.
## Friends reported him missing
When they couldn't reach him the next day, his friends contacted the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office. Multiple agencies launched a search by 2 p.m. Friday.
## Found alive in remote cabin
Two hours into the search, another hiker entered Horse Camp Cabin and discovered the injured climber inside. Rescue teams extracted him safely.
## What he did right
Officials praised him for telling friends his plans, knowing the route well enough to navigate without a map, and attempting self-rescue despite serious injuries.

> Never rely solely on a GPS or phone to navigate, if those devices stop working, your own navigation skills will be critical.
## Key takeaway

Always tell someone your hiking plans, carry backup navigation tools, and know your route well enough to find your way without electronics.