Stranded Hikers Rescued From Painted Canyon Rec. Area

LA QUINTA – Six hikers from the Pacific Northwest learned that it can get quite cold in the desert, when they were stuck overnight in a rugged, pitch-black desert canyon northeast of the Salton Sea.

The well-chilled hikers spent the night outdoors in the Painted Canyon recreation area east of Mecca wearing light clothing, and were rescued at 5 a.m. Saturday, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Lt. Terrence Tingle.

Temperatures in the area were in the mid 30s, the National Weather Service said.

The hikers phoned for help Friday when they realized they would not be able to see to make their way back after sunset, Tingle said.

Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies established a command post within Painted Canyon and called out the Desert Search and Rescue (DSAR) team, Tingle said.

“The hikers were in such a remote area, however, the search and rescue hikers could not reach them safely in the dark, so deputies called in a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department helicopter,” Tingle said.

At about 5 a.m., the helicopter crew used night vision technology to make a series of hilltop landings that allowed them to life the hikers and rescue crew out of the hills and to the command post, he said.

The hikers, three adults and three teenagers from Washington state, were wearing clothing unsuitable for the cold temperatures after dark, Tingle said.

None of the hikers was injured, and none needed medical assistance, he said.

The Desert Search and Rescue team is a group of volunteers trained in wilderness rescue, Tingle said. The team trains with sheriff’s helicopter crews and works in conjunction with the sheriff’s department to rescue those in danger.