Free climber was stranded on a tiny ledge 250 feet above the ground. After 47 minutes, he had one thing to say about his dad
He had free-climbed the mountain before, but this time, he made a mistake in choosing the route
When people saw Thomas Perry stuck on a ledge on Mount Yona in Georgia, their first thoughts were probably, 'You know it's optional, right?' Perry had been free-climbing the mountain without any harness or rope, as Inside Edition reported. When he was 250 feet up, he realized he had only 20 inches of jagged rock to stand on. Thankfully, he had his cell phone on him. But when he was connected on a call with 911, he was more worried about his dad than himself. The video was shared on September 1, 2026, and it has since gained over 625,000 views, 5,200 likes, and more than 1,790 comments.
'Don't tell my dad'
Thomas Perry found himself stuck on a tiny ledge on Mount Yonah, near an overhang he described to the 911 dispatcher. He had free-climbed the mountain before, but this time, he made a mistake choosing the route. White County Public Safety officials told Fox News that he finally called 911 around 7 p.m. A snippet of the call was shared by Inside Edition. Perry explained where he was, then asked, "I'm not going on the news or anything, am I?" The 911 dispatcher chuckled and said, "I don't think so. No," to which he responded, "I don't want my dad to start worrying about me."
First live subject
Thankfully, Perry was rescued by White County firefighter Will Roper. But before Roper descended the mountain, the rescue team used drones to locate Perry. It took a total of 42 minutes to finally get Perry off the mountain. After the rescue mission, Roper told the news outlet, "I've done a lot with dummies and a lot with other firefighters in training, but that's the first time that I've ever done it, kind of in the heat of the moment with a live subject." Roper also revealed that by the time he got to Perry, his hands and legs were shaking. The climber was exhausted, but he remained calm, cool, and collected.
Cell phone saved him
Cell service is far from completely reliable in remote and rugged terrain, but reception is possible in many mountain locations, particularly at higher elevations. The National Park Service notes that a cell phone call may be the best and quickest way to activate a response during an emergency in the mountains. However, the agency cautions that climbers should never rely on a phone as their sole emergency plan because many areas have no service. For Perry, though, his phone gave him a crucial way to reach 911 while he was stranded on the mountain.
'Thank God for good reception'
While the majority were relieved that Perry was safe, several netizens also commented that what he did was not necessary. @garyangel3885 commented, "This is one of those situations that is a billion and one percent avoidable." @dream_grips pointed out, "He climbed up that rockface with a full-sized backpack!"
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