A man called Altadena Sheriff's Station at 7:00PM Saturday (Jan. 21) and reported that his 19-year old brother and two friends had not returned as planned from a day hike to Eaton Canyon in the Angeles National Forest.
The Sheriff's Altadena Mountain Search and Rescue Team was activated and began searching the trails between the New York Drive parking lot and Eaton Canyon waterfall in Altadena, which is where the hikers had told family they were going.
Missing were a 19-year old man from Cypress, 19-year old woman from Laguna Niguel, and a 19-year old man from Los Angeles.
By 8:15PM, sheriff's rescuers had deployed and quickly found the two men and woman.
Rescuers determined that the hikers had gone on a day hike to the waterfall and to do some drinking. They were dressed in light clothing, had no jackets, food, flashlights, or hiking equipment or other provisions as they expected to be out for only the day. As darkness fell, they took an off-trail shortcut and became disoriented.
Altadena Sheriff's Deputy Dan Paige said, "At the time they were rescued it was dark outside and you could only see about twenty feet in front of you. Meanwhile, overnight temperatures were expected to be in the 40's.
The lost hikers were all located just south of the waterfall, uninjured. Altadena Mountain Search and Rescue Team memebrs escorted the hikers out of the canyon.
Always be prepared when you go backcountry hiking and don’t overestimate your abilities. Dress for the weather and bring food, water and supplies. Always tell people where you are going and don’t count on your cell phone to work in nature.
The Air-5 Rescue helicopter crew and the eight Search and Rescue teams of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department average about 350 search and rescue missions every year, making it one of the most active counties for search and rescue missions in the nation.
Enjoy Nature - Plan your Hike by filling out the Sheriff's Department's Hiking Plan Sheet:
Hiking/Camping is a fun way to get family and friends together to enjoy the outdoors, and to get some physical activity. However, you should always be prepared for the unexpected. You should tell family and friends what your plans are and provide a list of who will be going with you. That’s why the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind the residents of Los Angeles County that having a hiking / camping plan is crucial to survival in case of an emergency.
Before you leave, please fill out Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue – Hiking Plan sheet and provide to a loved one to hold onto just in case something happens to a member of your hiking/camping expedition. You can download the form by visiting:
http://file.lacounty.gov/lasd/cms1_163961.pdf
If you would like more information on how to prepare for your hiking / camping trip, please visit the Center for Disease Control’s camping website at
http://www.cdc.gov/family/camping/
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(323) 267-4800
http://www.lasd.org
[email protected]
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Sheriff Leroy D. Baca
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
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