Community
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Lost Hikers Located
| Nature of Incident: | Lost Hikers Located | ||||
| Report Number: | RB# 25-136391 | ||||
| Location: | Senior Canyon Reservoir, Ojai, CA | ||||
| Date & Time: | 10/23/2025 @ 1:13 PM | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | West County Patrol Services / Unmanned Aircraft Systems Team (UAS) / Ventura County Aviation Unit |
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| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||
| (P1) Lost hiker (P2) Lost hiker |
Ojai, CA Ojai, CA |
88 74 |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| On 10/23/2025, at approximately 1:13 PM, Ventura County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call regarding a lost hiker. The reporting party, an 88-year-old, and her 74-year-old friend, were hiking to the Senior Canyon Reservoir when they took a wrong turn on a trail and became lost. The Senior Canyon Reservoir is located in the mountains northeast of the city of Ojai. Deputies who were assigned to patrol the unincorporated areas surrounding Ventura and Ojai were dispatched to locate and rescue the hikers. Initial responding deputies walked the location for about half an hour but were unable to find the hikers due to the vast search area. Personnel with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Team (UAS) responded to assist with the search. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Team utilizes small unmanned aircraft, commonly referred to as “UAVs”, to locate missing or fleeing individuals and capture video and photographic evidence. While on duty, UAS personnel carry these aircraft in their patrol vehicles. This gives deputies the ability to quickly deploy an aerial resource while waiting for a helicopter to respond. These aircraft are also used to search for dangerous individuals who may be hiding inside of structures prior to deputies having to enter the structure themselves. Utilizing a UAS, deputies were able to locate the individuals who hiked more than a mile from their vehicle and gained more than 400 feet of elevation. Due to the rapid elevation change and deteriorating fire road, deputies were unable to access the hiker’s location with their vehicles. Deputies requested assistance from the Ventura County Aviation Unit. The Ventura County Aviation Unit is comprised of personnel from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the Ventura County Fire Department. The Ventura County Aviation Unit responded with Copter 9 and with coordinates obtained from the UAS, they were able to locate the hikers. Copter 9 performed a helicopter hoist operation and relocated the 88-year-old to a nearby road. Ventura County Aviation Unit personnel provided them with water, treated for minor injuries and were released from the scene. The 74-year-old was walked/escorted out of the canyon by deputies. Although these hikers made a wrong turn, they made a great decision to call for help before their resources were depleted or unusable. In this situation, the hikers requested help while they still had cell phone service, battery life, daylight and water. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone who hikes to file a hiking plan with a family member or friend. Hiking plans can be found at “https://www.ojaisar.org”. Additionally, hikers should also carry the “Ten Essentials” which include: compass, sunglasses, extra clothing, flashlight, first-aid kit, matches, multi-tool, extra food, water, and emergency shelter or blanket. Video footage of the incident can be seen by clicking the link below. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ7YD89krvq/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== |
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| Prepared by: | Deputy Chad Jones | ||||
| News Release Date: | 11/19/2025 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Sergeant Gunnar Dike 805-477-7041 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Steve Jenkins, Ojai Chief of Police YES NO |
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Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511