Published September 1, 2026 04:23PM
A North Carolina climber was leading an ascent with his son on Shortoff Mountain, a rugged, remote wall in Linville Gorge, on August 30, when he fell 20 feet. Jacob Gregory, the climber, slammed into a rock and suffered a critical injury. He needed a blood transfusion to save his life.
So, Will Soper ran, literally, to the rescue.
Soper, 28, is an EMT and technical rescuer with Burke Rescue Inc. and SAR, a volunteer lifesaving unit serving central North Carolina. In just 31 minutes, Soper ran 1.5 miles through the gorge, gaining roughly 1,000 feet in elevation—all while carrying a bag of blood needed to stabilize the climber.
“My goal was simple: get the blood from the parking lot to the top of the rappel,” Soper told Outside.
When the accident was called in, Soper was teaching a training with Ashe County Rescue Squad, another SAR outfit about two hours away. He quickly packed his gear and hopped in the car, knowing that the rescue would require an all-hands-on-deck approach. First responders called in 24 agencies for assistance, including the North Carolina National Guard, which sent in a Black Hawk helicopter.
“The rescue occurred in a notoriously remote and challenging place to access,” Soper told Outside. “As soon as I heard the dispatch, I knew it would be a challenging rescue.”
Life-Saving Blood Was Packed into a Backpack
By the time Soper arrived at the trailhead, a first wave of rescuers had reached the patient. His condition deteriorated, and paramedics evaluating his vital signs on the scene radioed that the patient suffered internal bleeding and needed blood—quickly.
“When I was about halfway up the mountain I heard Incident Command requesting me: ‘800 to Soper,’” Soper said. “I responded: ‘Go ahead, 800.’”
Over the radio, a paramedic told Soper that he’d need to turn around and run back to the parking lot to get a bag of blood and items used for a transfusion. He knew the route well, and with more than a decade of rock and ice climbing experience, was fit enough to carry the gear over such a steep elevation gain.
He made his way back down to the trailhead to pick up the blood bag, placed it in a cooler with extra cold packs to keep it viable, and ran everything up the mountain in a backpack.
“Off I went,” he said. “In all honesty, ‘run’ is a little bit hyperbolic. I maintained a fast hiking or jogging pace and made sure I didn’t stop for any breaks.”
Will stayed steady, ensuring not to overexert himself or, worse, make a small slip and hurt himself in the process. He reached the summit of the mountain, and then scrambled down a gully to where the climber was located
“This was the most treacherous part as I was tired and it is the steepest, slickest section,” he said. “I quickly reached the rappel station and handed off my backpack, with all of the supplies, to my colleague, Robert Vasile, who was waiting with harness and helmet on and ready to rappel. He made the descent smoothly and quickly before delivering the pack to the Paramedics.”
1.5 Miles, 1,000 Feet of Elevation Gain and 31 Minutes
Shortoff Mountain is notorious for its steep, rocky summit trail that is mostly unprotected from the sun, Soper said. The rescue took place at the bottom of one route, which is 2,800 feet high and requires a 200-foot scramble.
“At the bottom of the gully is what climbers call the ‘rappel station,’ which has fixed anchors located on top of an 80-foot cliff,” Soper said. “Once you rappel down, you can access the bottom of the climbing routes. Although it is not the most populated climbing area, it is one of the most common areas for climber rescues.”
As Soper ran, other rescuers worked their way down the mountain, establishing technical rope systems to reach and treat the patient. They transported the victim to Atrium Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
Gregory suffered multiple serious injuries and underwent emergency surgery on August 31, his family wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“It is far too early to know what the coming weeks, months and possibly years will look like. His recovery will be long, and there are many unknowns ahead. What we do know is that Jacob has a tremendous amount to fight for,” they wrote of the independent contractor. “To every responder who answered that call: thank you. You saved a life and brought a husband, father, brother, son, friend and loved one to safety.”
All in a Day’s Work for a Search and Rescue First Responder
Such a rescue is another day on the job for Soper.
“I am an ordinary person asked to do an extraordinary task,” he said. “Many people could have done this in a similar or faster time, so I urge them to consider this a call to action. If you read this and thought, I want to help, please contact your local rescue squad or search and rescue team.”
The Burke County Search and Rescue was joined by search-and-rescue teams from surrounding counties, along with North Carolina Emergency Management, NC HART, Charlotte Fire Department, MedCenter Air and the North Carolina National Guard.
