Dehydration is no joke. And self-reliance is really something that hikers/outdoorsmen need to plan for when going out into the wilderness. These 2 were lucky, they were able to get a cellphone signal out. An EPIRB, SPOT or InReach device was not needed, but had they been a bit farther afield, might have been the difference between life and death. Lucky for them, a cellular tower gave them access to Riverside County's SAR.
But sometimes you wonder what the heck people are thinking when they go off. A camelback bladder and a belt pack with a couple water bottle holders would have made a world of difference in this case. This happened during a simple day hike. Literally a stroll into the wilderness. They probably only took a couple water bottles?
But sometimes you wonder what the heck people are thinking when they go off. A camelback bladder and a belt pack with a couple water bottle holders would have made a world of difference in this case. This happened during a simple day hike. Literally a stroll into the wilderness. They probably only took a couple water bottles?
Couple rescued from desert near California’s Joshua Tree National Park after running out of water
This still image from video provided by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office shows two hikers lying on the ground as Riverside County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit’s Rescue 9 was dispatched to the Ladder Canyon Trail in Mecca, Calif., to assist the hikers, who were requesting medical aid, June 9, 2024. The couple, hiking in the desert south of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California, was rescued after running out of water. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office says a man called 911 and reported that his girlfriend was dehydrated and weak. (Riverside County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A couple hiking in the desert south of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California was rescued after running out of water, authorities said.
On Sunday, the man called 911 and reported that his girlfriend was dehydrated and weak, according to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office posted Monday on social media.
A search and rescue helicopter crew was dispatched on June 9, when temperatures reached triple digits, to the area known as Painted Canyon and found the couple huddled in a dry creek bed, the office said.
A video posted online by the Sheriff’s Office shows the helicopter hovering above the couple lying on the desert floor, with the man trying to shield her with his body from the blazing sun and wind. The man and woman were then hoisted into the helicopter one by one.
The couple was flown to a landing zone where an aeromedical helicopter rushed the woman to a hospital “due to her severe condition,” according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit’s Rescue 9 post. . . .