Hiker Calls for Help, Uses Rescue Box

A hiker from Whittier is safe today, after being rescued by the Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue unit.

63 year old Mike King went out hiking just before dawn Saturday morning on the Skyline Trail, in the mountains above Palm Springs. The retired teacher and coach brought two liters of water with him, believing it would be enough for the hike.

After reaching 6,000 feet, he began to feel faint, so he turned around and started back down the trail. Temperatures at his altitude were about 85 degrees at the time.

When he got down to 2,500 feet, he decided he could no longer continue. That’s when King called his wife, who then called 911, just after 1:30 p.m. Police say he was very low on water.

Police set up a base camp inside the O’Donnell Golf Course. While they mobilized, King utilized a rescue box on the trail. They say he used the water inside to keep hydrated until rescue crews got to him. A helicopter from CHP was brought in, and King was airlifted out. He was then taken to a nearby hospital to be checked for dehydration.

This was the first time the rescue boxes were used. They were installed September of last year by members of the search and rescue unit. Two boxes were set up. King used the one at 2,500 feet. Another sits at 5,000 feet along the Skyline trail. They contain water, a cell phone, a flashlight, a space blanket, a sun umbrella, and other items that could be used to aid a distressed hiker.