Lost hiker rescued from Joshua Tree National Park

A 36-year-old Pennsylvania man had to call for help after becoming lost in Joshua Tree National Park as it became dark Monday night.

Deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said the man called for help shortly after 5 p.m. He was hiking and went off the marked trail and didn’t know how to get back to his vehicle.

Authorities said he was only wearing a t-shirt and shorts so he wasn’t prepared to handle the weather.

The California Highway Patrol sent a helicopter to the area to search for the man. Officers were able to locate the lost hiker while speaking to him on the phone.

The man wasn’t injured and the search crew returned him to his vehicle safely.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind all hikers to bring a cell phone, sufficient water, appropriate clothing, and to plan their hike so that they will be off the trail well before sunset.