Teen hikers lost on Pacific Crest Trail for several days after snowstorm rescued
Authorities were able to locate and rescue two 17-year-old hikers who were lost for several days on the Pacific Crest Trail near San Gorgonio Mountain following a snowstorm.
The hikers, one a Cypress native and the other from Portland, Oregon, were dropped off near a trailhead in Whitewater on Sunday, Feb. 26 to hike a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Station announced.
The boys' hike occurred just as a snowstorm hit the region, causing them to lose communication.
"During the five days they were hiking, they encountered four to five feet of snow drifts, limiting visibility and making it difficult to stay on the trail," reads a news release by the Sheriff's Station.
Their parents' last established contact with the juveniles was on Tuesday. A search and rescue operation was initiated.
Sheriff's Aviation Helicopter 40King1 arrived and flew over a remote section of the Pacific Crest Trail along Mission Creek. The helicopter was able to locate the two teens on Friday.
The crew of 40King1 performed an off-site landing in heavy snow and contacted the lost hikers. The teens were flown to the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Station, where they received medical attention, food, water, and a warm place until their parents arrived.Â
"Riley and Cole [the teens] expressed how severe the weather conditions were and believed they would not have survived without assistance from the Sheriff's Department," reads the Sheriff's Dept. announcement.
Southern California experienced a record amount of snowfall throughout the region this week. Residents in mountain communities remain trapped by the snow.
- Watch: KESQ assistant news director discusses conditions while trapped in Crestline due to snowstorm
