Search and rescue teams carry out 16-hour effort

VENTANA WILDERNESS

The Monterey County Search and Rescue team, Urban Search and Rescue and CalFire worked together Saturday to rescue a hiker in the Ventana Wilderness. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MONTEREY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Rescue teams were stranded overnight as they waited for better weather conditions in the morning in order to cross a river.

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By Andrea Valadez

avaladez@montereyherald.com

KING CITY >> A search and rescue mission in the Ventana Wilderness took a turn after rescue teams were unable to cross a river and forced to wait out poor weather conditions until daylight. The rescue effort took 16 hours.

Around 8 p.m. Saturday, search and rescue teams received a call about a 20-year-old hiker who fell ill and couldn’t hike out on his own, according to a news release. Other hikers in the area managed to send out an SOS rescue signal and alert 9-1-1 of the emergency.

The Ventana Wilderness is a hiking area in the Santa Lucia Range near King City which spreads over 240,000 acres. The terrain is characterized by steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges, narrow canyons, waterfalls and thermal springs.

Six Monterey County Search and Rescue team members set out to find the hiker near Sykes Hot Springs along the Pine Ridge Trail. The hike to the springs is 19.7 miles out and back.

The team located the patient and provide first aid. Helicopter rescue assistance was requested, but weather conditions prevented the helicopter from being able to assist, according to the news release.

After a mile of carrying out the patient on foot, Urban Search and Rescue team members joined the efforts. Rain began in the early morning, making the already arduous trek over rocky terrain more difficult. The teams, still carrying the patient on a stretcher, found themselves stranded at a river after water levels had risen.

Rescue crews and the patient remained at the river until daylight when they were finally able to cross. The U.S. Coast Guard deployed a helicopter to the area but because of the weather conditions, the patient was unable to be safely hoisted up.

Toward the end of the rescue effort, CalFire personnel joined and together, the teams were finally able to get the patient to an ambulance nearly 16 hours after the rescue operation began. The patient was transported to a local hospital and is recovering.

Search and rescue team members described the operation as “physically exhausting,” according to the news release.“This rescue was a testament to the teamwork, resilience and dedication of everyone involved, including our partners at USAR and CalFire,” reads an Instagram post by the county search and rescue team. “Your efforts saved a life, and we are deeply grateful.”