On October 6, 1941, professional parachutist George Hopkins was rescued from the summit of Devils Tower in Wyoming, ending a six-day ordeal atop America’s first national monument. What began as an unauthorized publicity stunt became a logistical nightmare. On October 1, Hopkins parachuted accurately onto the Tower’s small, isolated summit, intending to descend on a 1,000-foot rope dropped from the aircraft after him. But the rope landed on the side of the Tower, out of his reach, leaving him stranded.
For nearly a week, Hopkins waited on the exposed summit as cold, damp weather complicated efforts to reach him. Aircraft dropped food and supplies, while reporters and spectators converged on the monument; roughly 7,000 people visited during the six-day spectacle. Rescue planners considered several options before turning to experienced climbers familiar with the Tower’s difficult rock routes.
The rescue came on October 6, when Jack Durrance—one of the early technical climbers to ascend Devils Tower—led seven other climbers, including Paul Petzoldt, to the summit. They found Hopkins in good physical condition and high spirits, then brought him down safely. The episode made national headlines and remains one of the most extraordinary incidents in the history of Devils Tower National Monument: a tale of bravado, poor planning, and a remarkably successful mountain rescue.
