Flashlight leads rescuers to 65-year-old driver stranded for days, California cops say
A 65-year-old man who became stranded after driving around a locked gate in Los Padres National Forest has a flashlight to thank for his rescue, California officials said.
A deputy and dispatcher were searching the remote area for vehicles on Tuesday, Dec. 26, when they spotted a faint light, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a Dec. 29 news release.
Following the light, they discovered a Phoenix, Arizona, man who was malnourished and in wet clothing, deputies said. He had been stranded for four days after his vehicle became stuck.
“Were it not for the attention of the dispatcher in spotting the light, the subject may not have survived much longer with no food, no water and the forecasted below freezing temperatures,” the release said.
The deputy and dispatcher took the man to safety, officials said. He returned with deputies two days later to retrieve his vehicle.
The U.S. Forest Service closes service roads in the national forest to the public during the winter for safety, since many areas do not have cell service, sheriff’s officials said.
The deputy and dispatcher earlier opened a gate to let another stranded motorist out, officials said. The driver told them other vehicles were also behind the gate, leading them to search the area.
Los Padres National Forest, which covers 1.75 million acres, is about 165 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
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