Hiker spends night stranded in canyon after climbing down unknown ladder, CA rescuers say
A hiker was rescued after climbing down a “makeshift” ladder in a California forest and getting stuck, rescue officials said.
After the hiker became stranded, a friend hiked out of the Angeles National Forest canyon and called 911 around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 5, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Montrose Search and Rescue Team said in a Facebook post.
Rescuers said they hiked for hours, navigating around waterfalls, to reach the hiker, who was unable “to climb the rocky terrain and waterfalls to the trailhead.”
As low cloud cover prevented rescuers from airlifting the hiker out of the area, rescuers said they decided to stay with them overnight.
“Once the morning light came, the clouds broke,” rescuers said.
A Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter airlifted the hiker and rescue team out of the area, rescuers said.
Rescuers urged hikers to research their intended route.
“There are numerous trails in the Angeles National Forest that have steep, rocky sections,” rescuers said. “Many others require mountaineering skills and equipment.”
Though there may be ropes and ladders left on trails by other hikers, rescuers said “many of these aids are poorly constructed, overused, or may be beyond its useful life.”
“If you come across a trail that uses these makeshift aids, please reconsider using them,” rescuers said. “You may make it down the obstacle, but the rope or ladder may not work for your return trip.”
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