Multiple hikers rescued in Palm Springs in 4 days
Rescue crews have kept busy this week after being called to airlift multiple hikers to safety from the same hiking trail in Palm Springs.
A helicopter crew airlifted three hikers from the Skyline Trail on Wednesday night after a member of the group could no longer walk and needed help getting down the mountain due to leg cramps, according to a release from Lieutenant Mike Kovaleff with the Palm Springs Police Department.
The two men and one woman, all Coachella Valley residents, called 911 just before 8:30 p.m. A sheriff’s helicopter found the three hikers at about 6,300 feet elevation in the Cactus to the Clouds area.
The sheriff’s helicopter hoisted them to a landing zone near Sunny Dunes Road and La Mirada Road, where an ambulance was waiting. Officers said all three hikers were okay and didn’t need medical attention.
The Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Air Operations Division worked together to bring the hikers to safety.
Another hiker was airlifted from the Skyline Trail on Sunday night after he ran out of water and became weak and dehydrated.
Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue handles dozens of calls like this one every year and wants to remind everyone that the risk of hiking in these treacherous mountains increases as temperatures rise.
Every hiker should be well-hydrated and in good physical condition before beginning the hike and should have several liters of water each. You should always tell a friend where you’re going , dress appropriately in bright colors (not green, brown or black) and carry a cell phone with a strong battery.
