BURKE COUNTY, N.C. -- A man who fell more than 100 feet while rock climbing on Table Rock Mountain had to be rescued while dangling unconscious from a rope Sunday afternoon.

The Burke County Sheriff’s Office said 28-year-old Justin “Jay” Almers of Mebane fell while climbing with a friend at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday. It took emergency crews more than a dozen hours to reach the victim, who was 200 to 300 feet above the ground, and then stabilize him on a ledge so that he could be transported to a hospital.

Once Almers was moved out of the rugged terrain, he was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

Burke County Emergency Services officials said the climber sustained deep cuts to his head and torso and broke several bones when he hit a rock during his fall. Almers’ injuries are serious, but he is expected to recover.