Roger
[Saturday] evening SBCSAR responded shortly before 630 pm to a report of three missing juvenile hikers near Inspiration Point in the hills above Santa Barbara. The three missing hikers were reported by their parents with whom they had separated with earlier in the day on the hike to see some different scenery. The three had originally set out for 7 Falls and had plans to met back up with their parents on the trail. When the hikers failed to return and had been in spotty cell reception indicating they were lost and in need of help, the parents called 911 to have SAR respond.
The hikers phone was contacted by the Emergency Dispatch Center and accurate GPS coordinates were retrieved and provided to SAR. The coordinates put them on a remote and nearly inaccessible ridge North of Inspiration Point close in upper Mission Canyon. With the new information, 3 SAR teams were assigned and headed up the trails to make best access to the subjects. After hours of heavy bush-whacking and aided by remote search managers, our teams trudged their way in the wind, rain and cold up steep ravines to the subjects.
The subjects were found cold and wet with early stages of hypothermia, team EMTs evaluated and provided dry clothing to the subjects and began to hike them out to warm them up. It took another couple hours to hike the subjects out in the inclement conditions. The subjects were hiked out by team members and reunited with their parents around 4:30 am Sunday morning.
SBCSAR wants to remind those hiking to be prepared for their hiking adventures by carrying food, water, cell phone, map hiking within their means and having appropriate clothing for the conditions.
Lost hikers way up Mission Creek, according to Search and Rescue.
SAR has our prayers. Forecast low of 55 but rain at 1:00 AM. The lost hikers may already be wet. Temperature quite a bit lower as one ascends. Hypothermia quite likely. Hope noone is injured. Cell phones likely might not be working up there. Another demonstration on the importance of carrying a headlamp even while on day hikes. Please post any requests for assistance from general public.
The SCOOP in detail:
The Hikers were not so much lost as STUCK!
As a parent of one of the kids I was pretty steeped in the moment.
First let me state that the people who VOLUNTEER to be members of Search And Rescue are the most AMAZING people around.
Our day started with a three family short hike, with the teens deciding to (with permission) take a more adventurous route.
They are three 15/ 16 year olds,
fit and able but without their typical gear, as this was not intended to be a long hike (us parents had the things that would have been helpful, water, food, whistle…). They climbed and bouldered up the creek bed beyond 7 falls and realized that it was quite unsafe to descend the way they came with the rain and mud. Tried to traverse to a trail but found even more rough terrain. Wisely they had their phones and climbed to a point for cell reception and called 911 before calling parents. Good call! Coincidentally one of us parents was calling Search And Rescue (SAR) about the same time as they had been unable to contact or locate them for a while. Location was found by all concerned. Getting to them was the difficult part!
I understand a total of 4 teams were out, in addition to the trucks and may support people. The call to SAR / 911 went in around 5:30. They organized and deployed quickly.
At 630 there was already a team headed up the mountain with others coming behind. One (SAR) great guy (so bad with names)? and his friend Ellie were pleasure hiking in the area when the call came in, made contact with our older son who had come to the trail to help, were the first on scene to begin the search. After talking to my husband I, who had just heard from the kids for the first time and now had a location set off up the creak a ways to assess the situation. As they were not dressed and prepared for the work, they came back and informed the crews coming up the mountain of their take of the situation.
The teams went from different sides and angels to get to them. It was dark, cold and raining with very little visibility and the area was incredibly difficult terrain. All parties seemed relieved once they had voice contact. They worked hard, reaching them at around 11:30pm, with some dry clothing and something to eat. THEN helped them out of their predicament. The kids were told that this was the second hardest rescue they’d had in quite a wile and it was good training for the new members of the team. The kids felt good that there rescue was warranted and were met with such positivity from the crews! They reached the trucks waiting at the power lines about 3am (yes we got a memorable selfie) then driven down to us parents parked at the bottom of the trail with one of the command trucks that kept us informed throughout the evening and morning by showing us progress of the crews on the laptop they had.
Now I’m going to reiterate, SAR people are the most AMAZING people around! From fist to last contact, these selfless people were taking care of business in such a positive way. They said this rescue had all of the elements in a challenging rescue: rain, dark, difficult terrain…and they seemed genuinely psyched for it, because it is the type of scenario they train for. This made us laugh, like we are now doing them a favor, instead of ruining their Saturday night!
We just got word through a friend that one of the SAR members Bob Tench’s phone was ruined in the rain and is looking to borrow a temporary Verizon phone while he waits for a new phone through his insurance. They pay for much of their own equipment and who know what else. We have been looking at their site and figuring out how we will donate to them.
I thought I had trained my son better to be prepared (he had left his backpack in the car), but I have to say, he and his two friends handled themselves incredibly well and weathered (yes a pun) the situation incredibly well. The mistakes they made were obvious, but luckily no one was hurt. And my son for one, could see himself joining SAR in the future (we all predicted he’d say that while we waited in our car at the trail head).
Thank you SB Search and Rescue from the bottom of our hearts!!!!!