Aviation 40King4, 40King6, AirRescue306 & members of the San Gorgonio Search & Rescue Team respond to a fallen hiker
DATE/TIME: Saturday, January 26th, 2019- Approximately 4:00 PM
INCIDENT: Search and Rescue
LOCATION: South Fork Trail, Jenks Lake Area
VICTIM: 56 Year Old Male Hiker
SUMMARY:
On Saturday January 26th, at approximately 4:00pm, Sheriff’s Dispatch received a report of a 56-year-old male hiker who had slipped/slid down an ice chute along the South Fork Trail in the area of Jenk’s Lake. The reporting party was the victim’s son, who had to hike approximately 2 hours until he had cell reception in order to report the incident.
Throughout the night, Sheriff’s Helicopter 40King4, 40King6, and Air Rescue 306 attempted to locate the subject in the rough terrain by using Night Vision Goggles and FLIR. Unable to locate the subject, San Gorgonio SAR Team members assembled a “Hasty” team and began hiking to the location. At approximately 2:34AM on 1/27/2019, the subject was located in a ravine, deceased. Due to the ice and snow conditions, San Gorgonio SAR members requested a hoist recovery of the victim.
On January 27th, after completing an unrelated Search and Rescue, 40King6 and Air Rescue 307 returned to the location to assist San Gorgonio SAR members. The crew of Air Rescue 307 was able to lower an Alpine Trained Air Medic to the awaiting SAR team. With the help of the SAR members already onscene, the victim was placed into a “Stokes basket” and was hoisted from the location. The victim was released to the Coroner’s office for further investigation.
Refer: Cpl. J. Scalise
Station: Emergency Operations Division- Aviation Unit
Case #: Yucaipa DR# 041900056
Phone No. (909)252-4100
JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
Address/Location
SBSD - Headquarters
655 E 3rd St
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 909-387-3700