MOUNT SHASTA, Calif. – A Pennsylvania man was rescued after he ran into trouble while hiking on Mount Shasta.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said on the afternoon of May 29, a U.S. Forest ranger reported he was in cell phone contact with a 22-year-old man who had summited Mount Shasta and took the wrong trail down. The ranger told the man to call 911 if he needed immediate help.
At about 5:30 a.m. the next day, the hiker called 911. The connection was bad, but dispatchers determined he needed help. He was also texting his family members to call 911.
Acting on this information, Siskiyou County Search and Rescue members started a rescue operation. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was sent to assist with the search.
According to deputies, at about 7:15 a.m. the helicopter crew spotted the hiker about 13,600 feet toward the mountain’s summit. However, they couldn’t land in the immediate area due to strong winds. Instead, search and rescue members were dropped off at Lake Helen so they could begin hiking to the man’s location.
At about 7:30 a.m. a trail guide was able to reach the hiker, who was hypothermic and unable to get down the mountain without help. The guide warmed the man until search and rescue crews arrived.
By 9:30 a.m. the wind conditions were more favorable and the helicopter crew was able to rescue the hiker and take him to a local hospital.
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