Lost skier gets stranded 6,000 feet up backside of California mountain, sheriff says
A skier was rescued after getting stuck 6,000 feet up a California mountain, a sheriff said.
The 27-year-old man from Los Angeles called 911 when he became lost on the backside of Mt. Baldy on Sunday, March 26, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a March 27 news release.
The sheriff’s department said it sent an air rescue crew to the man’s area.
Given the “heavy snowpack in the area,” the sheriff’s department said a hoist rescue was necessary.
A rescuer was hoisted to the man, who was not injured, according to the sheriff’s department. The man was then hoisted from the area via helicopter.
Mt. Baldy is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 45 miles northeast of Los Angeles, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
The sheriff’s department warned of dangerous conditions on the mountain in mid-January after actor Julian Sands went missing, McClatchy News reported.
He has yet to be found, despite air and ground searches, McClatchy News reported.
Since his disappearance, a number of hikers have been rescued from the area, including a pair of hikers who lost their footing after their equipment failed on Feb. 20 and a 75-year-old Los Angeles man who got separated from his group on Jan. 22, McClatchy News reported.
The body of a hiker who went missing more than a month prior was found 300 feet from the mountain’s summit on Feb. 18, McClatchy News reported.
What to do if you get stranded in cold weather
When the body is exposed to prolonged cold temperatures, it starts to lose heat faster than it can produce it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy,” the CDC said. “The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature.”
Low body temperatures can impact the brain and cause people to be unable to move or think clearly. However, the National Weather Service said there are ways to help you stay safe.
If you’re outside in cold weather, find shelter and stay dry. Cover every part of your body that’s exposed to the cold air.
If there’s nowhere to go nearby, build a windbreak or snow cave for protection. You should also continue to move your body to keep blood circulating, but don’t overexert yourself, officials said.
If you get trapped in a vehicle during a storm, officials said you should stay inside it and stay visible to rescuers.
“Run the motor about 10 minutes each hour for heat,” the National Weather Service said. “While running the motor, open the window a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Clear snow from the exhaust pipe to avoid gas poisoning.”
Hikers with busted equipment lose their footing 7,600 feet up icy California mountain
Missing hiker’s body found on snowy peak month after vanishing, California officials say
Actor Julian Sands missing as officials warn of ‘dangerous’ conditions on CA mountain
