Hikers Rescued After Suffering Injuries on Forest Trail

Two hikers who were injured while trekking in the San Bernardino National Forest north of Anza today were rescued by emergency personnel, with one victim taken by helicopter to a trauma center for treatment of an apparent head injury.

The "hikers down'' call was received at 12:15 p.m. along Little Thomas Mountain Road, near the Thomas Mountain Campground, roughly a mile west of Highway 74, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.   

The agency said multiple engine crews, along with U.S. Forest Service personnel, found the hikers located within a couple hundred yards of one another.

Officials said one victim suffered a head injury that caused temporary loss of consciousness, while the other had unspecified minor injuries. Neither was identified.

A sheriff's helicopter crew hoisted the seriously injured patient off of the trail and transported him to a makeshift landing zone at nearby Lake Hemet, where a Reach Air ambulance retrieved the victim at 1:20 p.m. and took him to a hospital, according to reports from the scene.

The other party was reportedly taken by ground ambulance to a medical facility for further evaluation.

The circumstances behind the injuries were not immediately known.