Search and Rescue Assists Stuck Hiker Near Hot Springs on Monday

[On Monday] afternoon shortly before 2:00 pm, Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue (SBCSAR) responded to reports of an uninjured hiker stuck above Montecito in the area of Hot Springs.

The hiker was found by a family member and requested SBCSAR to safely access and bring them down from the unstable hillside above the falls and creek bed area.

SBCSAR teams responded from both Montecito and Santa Barbara and made it to the trailhead within minutes for the hike up to the stranded hiker’s location.

Rescuers were able to make access to just above the hiker in steep terrain, confirm they were uninjured and just stuck without the ability to go up or down with loose footing. Team members setup anchors and ropes to rappel down and perform a pickoff rescue to get the hiker to the ground safely.

No photo description available. — Hiker rescued near Hot Springs on May 20, 2024 (Photo: SBCSAR)

The hiker was brought down to the creek bed and reunited with family and released. All teams were out of the field by 4:45 pm and returned to the station.

We want to remind those that venture out to stay on dedicated trails and have communication capabilities to summon for help if needed. Also, be sure to have the 10 essentials when hiking, more information can be found on our website.

While not seen on [Monday’s] response, snakes are out and it will be getting warmer so please keep a watchful eye to prevent being the next snakebite victim.

May be an image of 1 person, climbing, grass, fog and mountain — Hiker rescued near Hot Springs (Photo: SBCSAR)

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. Learn more at https://sbcsar.net/