Fourth Off-Roader Missing After Accident

Four off-roaders who were stranded north of Desert Hot Springs overnight were located today, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reported. But the fourth is still missing.

The last to be located, the driver, was found in her stranded pick-up truck this afternoon and appeared to be conscious, sheriff’s Deputy Angel Ramos said. A helicopter couldn’t reach the unidentified woman, so a four-wheel-drive truck was sent, he said, adding that it is “pretty rough terrain up there.”

“She saw the helicopter and is in the (truck); we don’t know if she’s injured,” he said about 3 p.m.

When the sheriff’s unit reached the location, the truck and the driver were both gone. Investigators believe the truck either started back up, or it was towed.

The woman’s three companions, one of whom hiked out of the area this morning and sought help at a nearby ranch, were taken to a local hospital to be treated for dehydration and sun exposure, he said.

The four ran into trouble when they went off-roading Tuesday night in the Little Morongo Canyon area.

“The pick-up truck became disabled and the driver became separated from the others,” sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Borja said.

The group stayed together through this morning, when they decided to split up to seek help. One person was able to climb down a mountain to report their plight about 9:45 a.m, Ramos said. The two others were then quickly found, one a half-mile and the other about a mile from the ranch, he said.

If you have information about the fourth person in this case, call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.