Rescuers save hiker trapped by refrigerator-sized boulder in 5-hour mission: VIDEO

CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. -- It was a complicated rescue mission in the middle of the wilderness after hiker found himself trapped by a giant boulder.

Officials said 28-year-old Ben Delahunty was hiking deep in the mountains of Washington on Monday when a refrigerator-sized boulder shifted and trapped him, pinning his wrist and legs. His buddy's call for help put life-saving efforts into motion.

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"The location where the patient was at in this instance was about nine miles from the closest trailhead, and it's about 5000 vertical feet up. And it also happened to be on a really steep, almost cliff like central section of the trail," said Chelan County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management Sgt. Jason Reinfield.

Rescuers said it took them nearly three hours to reach him, using ropes to carefully scale the treacherous terrain, and then another two hours to pry him out.

"What we used was this small airbag, and it's capable of lifting over 11 tons, but it only generates so many inches of lift when it does that. So, we had several other bags with us," said Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Battalion Chief Clint Webley.

Then, another challenge appeared. The paramedics battled whipping winds as they attempted to hoist him to safety.

The entire operation required the help of eight different agencies.

"He'd been in there for hours, and also not in the most ideal position, sitting upright with some pretty traumatic injuries," Webley said.