Malibu search & rescue team sets new record amid extreme heat

The Malibu Search and Rescue Team was extraordinarily busy on Sunday afternoon with a series of rescues that amounted to the team’s “busiest four-hour period” on record, officials said.

Between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and with temperatures soaring into the 90s, volunteers rescued five people in four separate incidents.

In the first, a female hiker was treated for excessive heat at the “M*A*S*H” filming site in Malibu Creek State Park. In the second, a 19-year-old man was hurt while cliff-jumping in the Rock Pool at the other end of the park.

“After rescuers left the park, they were again called back for two male hikers suffering from heat exhaustion,” Malibu SAR posted on social media.

Then, as the team was wrapping up its shift, they were called to the Ahmanson Ranch open space area to aid an injured mountain biker.

With excessive heat still gripping much of Southern California, officials hope these rescues serve as a warning.

“Several of the hikers said they thought they were prepared,” Malibu SAR said. “We caution everyone that it’s extremely difficult for the typical hiker to prepare to hike in such high temps. Many people we encountered had not even brought water with them.”

For those who opt to hike or bike in the summer heat, rescuers recommend starting very early in the morning, limiting their trip to a couple of hours, bringing plenty of water, dressing light, and wearing a hat and sunscreen.

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