Several local agencies responded to a report of an elderly hiker in distress on the Upper Franklin Trail in Carpinteria on Monday afternoon.
At 4:30 p.m., Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue (SBCSAR), Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, and Santa Barbara County Air Support were dispatched for an emergency activation signal near Franklin Trail.
An 81-year-old woman, an avid hiker, had become disoriented, lost the trail, and activated the SOS button on her GPS device. Her coordinates placed her down a creek, off the trail, on an embankment, SBCSAR stated.
Firefighters and SBCSAR members spread out to search the area from multiple access points. The Fire Department deployed drones to search key zones, while Air Support Helicopter 2 conducted an aerial search of others. A team from SBCSAR searched down the creek, calling out for the hiker. About a quarter mile downstream, they located her with minor scrapes and signs of fatigue.
The team’s EMT provided initial medical care and assessment until fire personnel arrived shortly after, when care was transferred to their paramedics. Due to the hiker’s fatigue level, it was determined that a hoist extraction would be safer than escorting her out on foot. Copter 3, equipped with hoist capabilities, was requested to respond.
Copter 2 remained on scene to provide overwatch and guide Copter 3 to the hiker’s location. As Copter 3 was en route, fog began to roll in, creating concern that the hoist might not be possible. The rescue teams prepared a contingency plan involving a rescue litter in case a ground extraction became necessary.
Fortunately, Copter 3 arrived swiftly and was able to perform the hoist successfully. The hiker was transported to the hospital for further care.
The hiker’s condition is currently unknown at this time.
Also Read
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Launches ‘Drive Sober’ Campaign Ahead of Holiday Travel
- Victim in Fatal Traffic Collision North of Goleta Identified as Los Angeles County Man
- Ventura County Teen Arrested for Allegedly Selling Drugs to Minors
- San Jose Creek Multipurpose Path Construction Set to Begin in Goleta
- Multiple Earthquakes Strike in Ventura County, Largest Measuring Magnitude 3.1
Good professional work, as usual!
Thank you for your service!
It’s cool to see people at this age still getting out there and exploring our beautiful wilderness.
Que the usual complainers. Amazing a whiny child like BASIC will decry spending his tax pennies on this but fully endorse a confusing and ill-planned parking plan that will affect far more people.
BeesKnees will demand trailhead kiosks and trail docents.
*cue
Drones and ‘copters? Someone’s going to die out there if they run out of battery or have no signal. Bad plan.
Stay on the trail. If you can’t figure that out and you’re going solo it’s a recipe for disaster. Know your limits people. I think she just realized hers.
Mr. Krabs’ fear of robot overlords keeps the balance of technology in check.
And there he (or she, who knows with this one) is…..
What “plan” are you whinging about? No one makes a plan to rely on their phone for life and death situations. It’s like you live in a cartoon fantasy world.
So much went right with this situation, which could have easily turned tragic. The hiker was well prepared and had all the right gear, including the GPS/SOS device to call in rescue personnel. Fantastic that a person in their 80s is heading out on our trails. My only suggestion for this hiker and others is to have a hiking “buddy” if at all possible. Many people, including myself, prefer to solo hike, but I think it’s time for this particular hiker to not hike by her lonesome in the future.