Hiker on snow-covered Mt. Baldy hoisted to safety

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·3 min read
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Hiker Luis Diaz, 46 of North Hills was hoisted to safety after he found himself in an unsafe situation on snow-covered Mt Baldy, authorities reported.
Hiker Luis Diaz, 46 of North Hills was hoisted to safety after he found himself in an unsafe situation on snow-covered Mt Baldy, authorities reported.

A hiker on snow-covered Mt. Baldy was hoisted to safety after he found himself in an unsafe situation, authorities reported.

The rescue occurred the same weekend that the body of a female hiker was airlifted from the area in the San Gabriel Mountains.

On Sunday, Luis Diaz, 46, of North Hills, was on Mt. Baldy when he contacted the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department requesting help, sheriff’s officials said.

Diaz told a dispatcher that he was hiking Mt. Baldy when he went off-trail and directly up the Mt. Baldy bowl toward the summit, where the terrain included several layers of compact snow, powdery snow, and ice, authorities said.

Diaz told authorities that he hiked away from his gear and ended up in a position where he did not feel safe to continue up or down the mountainside.

The sheriff's aviation unit was notified of Diaz's condition. Patrol helicopter 40-King-6 crew was dispatched and located Diaz near the summit at an elevation of 9,800 feet.

The terrain in that portion of the San Gabriel Mountains was steep, which caused several other hikers to crawl on their hands and knees, authorities stated.

The remote area was not easily accessible by ground to the sheriff's West Valley Search and Rescue Crew. The patrol helicopter crew requested sheriff's helicopter Air Rescue 306 for a hoist rescue.

The Air Rescue 306 crew responded and a technical rescuer was lowered from the helicopter down to Diaz, who was placed in a rescue harness and hoisted into the helicopter.

Diaz was taken to nearby deputies and paramedics. His condition is unknown, police said.

Body recovered

Diaz’s rescue came after the body of hiker Lifei Huang, 22, of El Monte was discovered on Saturday, Feb. 10 in the upper San Antonio Creek Falls area after she began her hike alone on Sunday, Feb. 4.

On Saturday, the U.S. Forestry Department told sheriff’s officials that a citizen flying a drone may have spotted Huang’s body in the Mt. Baldy area.

On Sunday, sheriff’s Air Rescue 306 hoisted medics down to the location. Huang's body was then airlifted off the mountain.

Stay away from the mountain

The sheriff's department strongly urges people to refrain from mountain activities during inclement weather.

The weather buried the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains in snow, and it is highly likely hikers will get into trouble, authorities stated.

Resources are stretched to their limits and hikers who get lost may have to wait long periods before help is available, according to sheriff’s officials.

Authorities said anyone insisting on heading to the mountains for outdoor activities should:

  • Be prepared.

  • Stay on the marked trail.

  • Notify someone of your hiking trail and plan.

  • Let others know of your expected return time.

  • Bring adequate gear, equipment, clothing, food, and water.

  • Research the area and weather forecast before hiking.

  • Know that mountain conditions can be treacherous and change drastically over a matter of minutes.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Hiker on snow-covered Mt. Baldy hoisted to safety