SBCSAR
Tangerine Falls Lost Hiker (6/18/24) – At 1607, SBCSAR responded to a 911 call from a hiker who was lost near Tangerine Falls.
Due to poor cell service, contact was lost with the hiker. After unsuccessful attempts to reconnect with the hiker, SBCSAR teams were dispatched to the Cold Spring Trailhead to begin a search.
Teams from both Santa Barbara and Montecito responded and arrived at the trailhead within minutes to begin their search.
With only the hiker’s first name (the only information collected before losing contact), the first team headed up the trail asking every person they encountered if they were the missing hiker. Soon after, Team 1 made contact with two hikers and the missing hiker.
The two had come in contact with the lost hiker beforehand and were leading him back down the trail to the trailhead. Team 1’s EMT assessed the hiker’s health condition and determined he was well and just needed navigational assistance.
At the bottom of the trail, the hiker was again evaluated by SBCSAR’s EMT, found to still be in good condition, and released.
Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue is a professional, all volunteer and unpaid 501(c) 3 organization that is community supported by generous giving to provide services to the County of Santa Barbara under the direction of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. To learn about supporting SBCSAR, please visit our website or reach out to us.
“Cell phones aren’t your friends when hiking, never have been.” Except when you or a member of your party gets injured and needs to call for a rescue. Or when your flashlight dies and you need a light. Or whenever…. etc etc etc…
Hiking aps are your friend. Alltrails is a good one.
Staying on the trail is another good friend! Cell phones aren’t your friends when hiking, never have been.
That must be why emergency services suggests you have one.
Except when I tripped and fell on a trail run, strained my hamstring, and could not stand up, much less walk. The cell phone was great to put a pin in my location and text my spouse “help”. So…S&R was able to find me and carry me out.
Though truthfully, it was a well-traveled trail and about 0.5 mile from the trailhead, so just about any of the 15 people who passed me in the first 20 minutes could have called for help too.
MM1970 – strained hammy? You should have just rolled down the rest of the trail instead of requesting help from people who’s entire profession is providing help to injured people in the outdoors. Was your pain level above a 3/10? Per our resident expert, “medically speaking” a 3 out of 10 is the same level as gut-ripping cramps, puking and diarrhea, so it really shouldn’t be an issue as most “folks” deal with that low level and ignorable discomfort every day…..
wrong sacjon since cells m-a-y be your friend, but often out on the trail they are out of contact, or folks use the light function and wreck the battery-power… people do rely on the phones far too much and ignore more basic safety rules like never hike alone, have a map, know what the heck you’re doing out there.
DAVY BROWN – nope, not wrong at all. I never said they always worked, just pointed out how WRONG BASIC was to say they’re “never” your friend.
How many front and back country rescues have you read about here where an injured hiker or their friend called 911 from…… guess….. their cell phones. Pretty much all of them. I rest my case.
If the guy in the photo is the “lost” hiker he has other non-preparedness issues. It isn’t very smart to go hiking in rough country dressed as he is. And his tennis shoes provide no ankle support nor protection from rattle snake bites.
Satellite phone for the really adventurous to stay safe.
Did he forget whether he had parked on East Camino Cielo or on Mountain Drive?