A 19-year-old Atascadero resident was airlifted to safety late last week after sustaining "major, non-life-threatening injuries" while hiking, the California Highway Patrol Coastal Division's Air Operations Unit said in a social media post. A CHP spokesperson later confirmed some details of the incident.
The male teen was rescued after reportedly falling 250 feet down a cliff in the Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County. He was unable to extricate himself due to the extent of his injuries, CHP said.
Editor's Note: View the full rescue video on YouTube.
The teen was injured on Thursday, January 4 around 4:30 p.m. while hiking on Pine Ridge Trail near Sykes Campground, CHP said, but wasn't airlifted until the following morning, January 5, as daylight had faded to dark by the time search-and-rescue teams arrived.
CHP said the hiker's companion called 911.
A California Highway Patrol Airbus "H-70" was used to hoist the teen out of the area and to a nearby landing zone. The teen was then flown by a separate air ambulance to a hospital in Salinas.
A CHP spokesperson would not specify the teen's injuries but confirmed they were "major." A second air rescue happened in the same area on the same trail later that day, this time involving a female hiker. The CHP spokesperson said she suffered a minor knee injury but required air rescue as she was unable to place weight on that leg.
CHP Coastal Division's Air Operations Unit worked alongside Monterey County Sheriff's Office search and rescue, California State Parks and American Medical Response.
