NEED TO KNOW
An elderly man became stranded overnight after hiking off-trail and sliding 1,000 feet down a mountainside in the Mount Pinos area
Officials and volunteers helped to rescue the man on Jan. 9 as temperatures dropped to 17 degrees
Bakersfield Search & Rescue shared several photos of the winter rescue mission
A team of volunteers rescued an elderly man who became stranded overnight in below-freezing temperatures.
The rescue unfolded in the area of Mount Pinos, which is located in the Los Padres National Forest in California, on Friday, Jan. 9, according to Bakersfield Search & Rescue and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). Local NBC affiliate KGET was first to report the news.
The 69-year-old man started off hiking a known trail on Thursday, Jan. 8, but later went off-trail, a KCSO spokesperson said in a news release shared with PEOPLE. After abandoning the trail, he “began hiking off-trail for hours in an unknown direction,”
KCSO deputies were alerted to the hiker’s situation just before 12 p.m. on Jan. 8, after which they were able to locate his vehicle.
Bakersfield Search & Rescue
A photo of the Jan. 9 rescue in the Mount Pinos area, shared by Bakersfield Search & Rescue
As hours ticked by, deputies struggled to find the man “due to the amount of snow and ice” in the area. He slid approximately 1,000 feet down a steep mountainside fraught with snow-covered cliffs and “icy slopes,” according to the KCSO.
Southern Kern, Bakersfield and China Lake Mountain Search and Rescue teams responded to the area “with specialized equipment to traverse the snow and icy conditions,” according to the KCSO. First responders with the Los Angeles County Fire Department also reported to the snowy scene.
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The search and rescue efforts also included a helicopter, according to images shared by Bakersfield Search & Rescue, a Kern County non-profit organization.
As the teams worked to find the hiker, who “was stranded overnight,” temperatures dropped to 17 degrees, according to the volunteer-based non-profit.
Bakersfield Search & Rescue
Volunteers at the Jan. 9 rescue in the Mount Pinos area
Eventually, the hiker was located and airlifted away from the cliff, according to law enforcement officials. He was subsequently taken to Mt. Pinos Nordic Base — where “the Mt. Pinos Nordic Ski Patrol provides winter ski safety and first-aid,” according to the official Instagram account.
He was treated for injuries at the base and released, the KCSO said. It is unclear what the extent of his injuries was.
Bakersfield Search & Rescue
Volunteers at the Jan. 9 rescue in the Mount Pinos area
Images shared by Bakersfield Search & Rescue appear to show the hiker — who was bundled up in a sweatshirt, sweatpants, puffer coat and hat — smiling and waving as someone photographed him after the rescue. Other pictures showed various officials and first responders working to locate him.
The successful rescue mission “reminds us what’s possible when dedicated volunteers work together,” Bakersfield Search & Rescue wrote on Facebook. “It truly was a miracle, the outcome we all pray for.”
The organization concluded its post by expressing gratitude to those who made the rescue possible, writing, “To every volunteer who showed up and to those who drove over 3hrs to the mission and didn’t stop until the job was done, you’re heroes. 🧡.”
“When hiking in mountainous areas, always check weather conditions, carry adequate supplies, stay on marked trails, and let someone know your plans to help ensure your safety,” the KCSO warned in a statement following the incident.
Read the original article on People