Helicopter crews rescue hikers, dogs from rising Sespe River
A pair of county helicopters successfully plucked nearly a dozen stranded hikers and their dogs from a remote trail as rainfall swelled the Sespe River last month.
While no one was hurt, Ventura County Sheriff's officials say the scenario serves as a warning for outdoor enthusiasts to use caution when heading out in stormy weather.
On the afternoon of March 30, multiple groups of hikers became stranded on the Sespe River Trail in Los Padres National Forest north of Fillmore, officials with the Ventura County Aviation Unit said in a news release. The air unit is a joint effort of the county sheriff's office and fire department.
A storm that hit the area last week, impacting the Sespe River Trail, caused river levels to rise quickly, authorities said. The hikers were stuck in harsh conditions. Ground crews from the sheriff's and fire agencies were unable to safely reach the hikers to lead them out.
The air unit's Copter 9 and Copter 4 launched to rescue the group: a total of 11 hikers and three dogs. All of the hikers were adults from Ventura County.
Senior Deputy John Burt, who works in the aviation unit, said the hikers checked their local weather but didn’t check weather for the trail in the national forest, which saw heavier rain than other areas.
Burt said Friday the hikers would have been better off not trying to hike the trail in the rain.
The rescue itself carried risks for first responders as well as those being rescued, he said. Helicopter pilots had to deal with low altitude and low visibility because of the rain. Pilots also had to navigate between canyon walls.
Fortunately, when the air crews arrived on scene they found no injuries. The hikers, wisely, didn't cross the Sespe River, where they could have been caught in swift currents, Burt said.
They also made other good decisions.
“They stuck together. They had rain jackets,” he said.
And they stayed where they were and didn't keep walking.
With an especially wet rainy season, Ventura County and the region have seen an increase in the number of rescues as dangerous currents and flash flooding altered typical water conditions, officials said in the release. Authorities advised hikers to closely monitor weather conditions and to heed recommendations from public safety agencies.
Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Helicopter crews rescue hikers, dogs from rising Sespe River
