A female Joshua Tree National Park Ranger was critically injured while climbing in Joshua Tree National Park Thursday. According to County Fire Captain Jett Schuster, park rangers, Joshua Tree firefighters, and Morongo Basin Ambulance were called to the Hemingway area in the park about 7 p.m. Schuster said the woman, who was wearing safety gear, fell about 30 to 40 feet, but landed in a spot where she couldn’t get out about 100 feet above the ground. Park rangers were first on scene and climbed up to her, and firefighters also climbed up to get her down. She was transported by Mercy Air to a local trauma hospital with multiple injuries. Schuster reminds residents and rock climbers to bring water and cell phones with them when in the park.
