Full Notification

On February 6^th, 2016, at about 6:00 pm the Kern County Sheriff’s Office received a report that two hikers, both in their 60’s, were reported missing while hiking in the Mt Pinos area. Both hikers had been hiking in a snow covered area, had become lost, and were unable to find their way to their vehicle before dark. The couple had telephoned family reporting they had become lost in the area, however due to the remote area cell phone service was intermittent and unreliable for determining their location.

The Sheriff’s Office dispatched patrol units, Search and Rescue, and Air Support to the area to begin searching for the couple. Patrol units were able to locate their vehicle while Search and Rescue and Air Support were still in route to the area.

Air Support Unit Air-1 arrived to that location and began a search of the area. Within approximately 10 minutes the aircrew located the missing hikers with the aid of Night Vision Goggles. The hikers were approximately ½ mile from where the ground units were searching for them. The aircrew was able to direct deputies to their location where they were safely rescued. The hikers were in good condition and were safely returned to their vehicle.