Dramatic video shows emergency crews rescuing a 18-year-old hiker who became disoriented while trying to trek to Canada using the Pacific Crest Trail.
Video shared by California Highway Patrol's Valley Division Air Operations office shows the Tuesday morning rescue. Air crews were contacted by the Alpine County Sheriff's Department after a hiker had activated his spot satellite personal tracker, according to Valley Division Air Operations spokesperson David White.
White said the man had run out of water during his trek and had planned to use water sources on the trail. However, the water sources had dried up because of the drought. The hiker told rescue crews he became disoriented and lost his way, according to White.
The man did not have a GPS with him so he used his personal satellite locator device to summon help.
It took rescue crews 35 minutes to arrive in the area where the hiker's device was used. The hiker was located and loaded into the helicopter where he was flown to Alpine County Airport and turned over to the Alpine County Sheriff's Department, White said.
White said that the satellite device's capabilities most likely saved the hiker's life, as the area the man was located in was extremely rural. Without his device, it would have been unlikely that he would have been able to summon help or be located as quickly as he was, White said.
Check out the rescue video
