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Injured Hiker
updated: Jan 17, 2013, 2:08 PM

Injured Hiker at Inspiration Point. County Fire is responding.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 364597P	2013-01-17 02:10 PM
I was just wondering when the next hiker in trouble call would come........
COMMENT 364651	2013-01-17 04:25 PM
Search & Rescue, AMR, LP Fire, County Fire responding
COMMENT 364652	2013-01-17 04:27 PM
Why can't people understand that it's called the "wilderness" for a reason. It's wild and not safe. And before you start calling me a couch potato I went up to Inspiration Point once. It was a very long and grueling day--we barely made it back before dark! And this was before cell phones. I'm still amazed that we made it back at all. Be kind to those adventurous souls and extreme thrill-seekers who need help from the professionals now and again!
COMMENT 364703	2013-01-17 07:10 PM
Inspiration point an "all day" hike in "wilderness"? Is this reply to the request for local jokes?
PATRICK	2013-01-17 07:42 PM
Inspiration Point could be an all day hike, depending on where you started.
COMMENT 364711P	2013-01-17 07:43 PM
703, good, good.
COMMENT 364715P	2013-01-17 08:00 PM
I think 652 was being sarcastic... Just because it's an easy trail, doesn't mean something can't happen to an experienced hiker.
COMMENT 364718	2013-01-17 08:11 PM
I don't understand where the criticism is coming from. You can get injured walking from your house or apartment to your car. Or your bathroom to the kitchen.
COMMENT 364731P	2013-01-17 10:18 PM
I hike regularly, and I am a female in my 50s. By "regularly", I mean 100 hikes in 6 months, for example. I hike prepared. I take extra water, flashlight, jacket, whistle, cell phone, snacks, etc., and I let at least one person know where I am going and when I expect to return. Still... accidents happen. The self-righteousness I see expressed on Edhat whenever hikers are injured, sick, or lost, is disheartening. I have never yet had to be rescued, and I hope I never do, but I have been injured in a fall. I fell and hit my head on a rock and had to have 7 stitches. I was hiking alone, and I could easily have been knocked unconscious or worse. I was lucky that I didn't pass out (that I remember), and that a couple of other women happened to be hiking out a few minutes after I felt dizzy from my injury and laid down on the trail. I walked the 30+ minutes back to my car with them just in case. One should not automatically assume anyone who needs rescued is somehow less savvy than others and/or less self-reliant.
COMMENT 364732P	2013-01-17 10:18 PM
Driving a car in "unwild" Santa Barbara is potentially dangerous; people do it every day; sometimes there are accidents every day. Hiking in the "wild" is potentially dangerous; people do it every day; sometimes there are accidents.
COMMENT 364738P	2013-01-18 03:27 AM
718. The difference is: when you are walking from your house to your car or from your bathroom to the kitchen, you don't need to take water, flashlight, map, jacket,snacks. And you aren't deliberately pursuing an activity that could get you lost or in need of helicopter rescue. Der.
COMMENT 364888	2013-01-18 11:46 AM
I saw 6 vehicles respond; 5 went up the trail (2 search and rescue, 2 fire, 1 ambulance if I remember correctly), while 1 ladder fire truck stayed at the trail head. There were 2-3 persons in each vehicle. I've seen several similar responses and assume this is standard procedure. Does anyone think this is excessive for one injured hiker? Does anyone know how the response protocol is determined for injured hikers? I can't imagine what these 15 people are doing, that 8 people couldn't, for one victim. Even with a debilitating injury like a broken leg at Inspiration Point, I would think a response of less than half this size would be more than adequate. I saw over 40 people on the trail at that time, so someone with a cell phone must have been in contact with 911 providing the hiker's condition and location. I'm not trying to troll, just honestly curious about how the response is determined. Appreciate any insight from INFORMED sources.
COMMENT 365294P	2013-01-19 01:59 PM
738P, are you suggesting that people should not go hiking or "deliberately an activity that could get you lost or in need of helicopter rescue"? Are people typically this resentful of skiers, skydivers, bikers, water skiers, boaters, ball players, etc. who occasionally need rescuing? Or is it really only hikers who are considered idiotic for getting hurt, sick or lost while pursuing their recreational activity?

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