Three Hikers Safe After Getting Lost On Mt. San Jacinto

Hi Liu, 24, dodged reporters as he stepped off the first tram car that reached the base of the lower tram Friday morning. Liu was missing in the San Jacinto mountains for nearly twelve hours.

His only statement: “No, I’m not hurt.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says Liu became separated from his group around 4:00 p.m. Thursday. He was not reported missing until 7:00 p.m. because his group tried looking for him first.

“From our perspective, we’re walking down the peak,” explained Liu’s friend, Ding Yuan. “All of a sudden, within a five minute interval, we lost track of him.”

Authorities say the Riverside Mountain Rescue Team found Liu walking at the Hidden Lake Divide, near the east side of the upper tram, around 7:30 a.m. Friday.

He was not prepared for an overnight hike. “He apparently slept a little bit through the night,” said Deputy Melissa Nieburger. “He was in good condition, but a little bit dehydrated.”

Liu did not have a cell phone.

But, James Sanguinetti, from Lodi, Calif., who considers himself an experienced hiker was prepared for his hike Friday. “I try to carry the ten essentials: map, compass, plenty of water, a little bit of food,” he said

Sanguinett also packed a windbreaker jacket and a first aid kit into his backpack.

Authorities say Liu is a graduate student in San Diego on a student visa.