A hiker with a severe leg injury was airlifted off Mount Diablo on Sunday, Sept. 13, after becoming stranded on steep terrain that ground crews could not reach.

The East Bay Regional Park District's EAGLE 8 rescue helicopter and a rescue-line technician extracted the hiker from near Fossil Ridge and the Summit Trail, EBRPD spokesperson Jen Vanya told Patch. Other public safety partners assisted, though the district has not identified which agencies responded.

Vanya described the terrain as "extremely steep" and "inaccessible." Video posted by the park district shows crews securing the hiker to a rope before hoisting them into the helicopter overhead. The hiker was transported to medical care. The district has not released the hiker's name, age or current condition.

The EAGLE 8 crew also completed a rescue five weeks earlier. On Aug. 9, the same helicopter responded to an emergency at Mission Peak Regional Preserve in Fremont, where a 7-year-old girl collapsed near the summit, according to EBRPD. Officer Pilot Nina Keefer and Tactical Flight Officer Alec Saunders received Lifesaving Awards for that Mission Peak operation at the district's Sept. 1 board meeting.

Mount Diablo, located just east of Walnut Creek, draws thousands of hikers each fall. The steep, rocky terrain around Fossil Ridge and the Summit Trail can turn a stumble into an emergency that only a helicopter can resolve.

California State Parks advises Mt. Diablo hikers to use the buddy system, carry at least one quart of water for every two hours on the trail, wear sturdy closed-toed shoes and stay on designated trails.