Search and Rescue Locates Injured and Ill Hikers on the Lost Coast
Four hikers have been located on the Lost Coast between Petrolia and Shelter Cove as of 4:50 p.m. One has a head injury and one has hypothermia, according to a report over the scanner by the Coast Guard and confirmed by Samantha Karges of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department.
Karges told us that the Sheriff’s Office received a relayed SOS from a portable GPS (a Garmin) at 3 p.m. A dispatch center for the device received the request for help and sent it to HCSO.
The message said that “one person needed medical attention” and gave coordinates, Karges explained. Later, she said, “We got updated coordinates.”
Later, she said, “We got a second message in a second area.” The message came from near Randall Creek and conveyed the information that there were four people in the party with a 37-year-old male who was possibly injured.
The Coast Guard was requested to go out searching for the hikers and the Sheriff’s Department headed that way by land.
At 4:50 p.m., the Coast Guard reported over the scanner that all four members of the hiking group were found but one had a head injury and another had hypothermia. The Coast Guard is taking the two patients by helicopter to the hospital. Then they will bring in a second helicopter for the other two hikers.
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WOW! Just wow! We are so lucky to have Coast Guard nearby, always ready & super competent!
Well at least they had a GPS!
I hope there is a follow up to this story to find out what happened. Lost Coast is the name of the place not the goal.
Agreed! I can’t help wondering if more people do things they’re not equipped to do than they would have in the old days because they simply think, “We have cell phones/GPS. We’ll just call for help if we need it!”
Lucky it worked for them. But i am a bit baffled by how many folks find themselves needing public services to rescue them from situations where common sense could have avoided the trouble in the first place.
What’s up with people? Maybe life has turned into a video game for them. Adventure– distress– press panic button– rescue effected– restart.
The dominant issue was one had a head injury, which you don’t screw around with even on a short trip. It’s easy even when being careful to fall while scrambling over rocks etc. They were prepared in they had Garmin with SOS function. Sounds like surfers because of the hypothermia issue. Four Hikers would have numerous ways to keep warm while waiting for rescue.
Zenman, the injury was certainly unforeseen. Since they couldn’t plan for that and the subsequent rescue, i can’t blame these particular unfortunates in the least.
However, in general… how many rescues on the Lost Coast have we seen in the past few months? I am not going to go back and count them, but i stand by my notion that In GENERAL maybe people just feel that it’s so easy to call for help nowadays that they may as well not plan or travel responsibly.
We should just dismantle search and rescue ?
Is that your idea? I certainly don’t think so. Many people have been helped or even had their lives saved.
Hay guys. Next year maybe the Matterhorn or even
Mt McKinley.
I wonder if its surfers from out of the area who don’t know the terrain.
Without knowing anything other than what is reported in the article, I am going to say not surfers.
If they aren’t local, WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?
Until they got a HELICOPTER RIDE!… Little jealous over here.
People come here literally all the time for the natural wonders encompassed by the Emerald Triangle Counties. It’s called the “Tourist Industry” which may co-exist with other industries. Chamber of Commerce can clue you in on the money involved.
I’m glad the hikers were rescued and hope the injured person will be OK. Thanks and praise to all first responders and USCG. Remember when Trump de-funded the government including the Coast Guard in a hissy-fit?
I agree with “Buster” that they appear to be hikers rather than surfers. Long way to pack a board, especially in winter. Last I heard, the popular break was at Big Flat; closer to Shelter Cove. Pack out your garbage. Hiking north in winter gives a cold head-wind all the way.
Over the years, the King Range has beat the stuffing out of tough, experienced outdoor folks and newbies alike. Some have perished. You can have a spectacular 3 or 7 day athletic romp down a fantastic wilderness beach or a life-or-death test of mettle you will never forget.
The KR is not to be trifled with. Especially in winter. Little sliver of public land, ha, ha , what could go wrong? Do your homework. Get a tide book. Get a weather report. Maybe skip dead-of-winter. I don’t care how hard and tough you were in the Marble Mountains. The proud will be humbled and the humble will snicker quietly.
A. Good news that the peeps were found.
B. Despite the natural beauty and all of the years of living on the North Coast, I have never step foot anywhere near the Lost Coast–Shelter Cove area: Too much crazy trecherous terrain all around and too much lawlessness (and the nutty folks doin’ it). I’m still alive and well so I’ll take credit for the wisdom, LOL.
Wow. Just wow.
Looking at today’s tides, time wise it seems as if they tried to get a head start on the receding tide somewhere between sea lion gulch or cooskie creek but didn’t fare well. Any swells or wind can affect even a receding tide for the worse. They made it to the randall creek pinch point(relative safety) it seems after a long cold wet and painful hike
I’ve hiked that trail at least a dozen times. I actually almost hiked out there this weekend with my board. I might go still now I’m more enticed lol. Shit can get crazy out there. I’ve been hit with 50 mph canyon winds from the east. I’ve literally floated home using my surf board as a glide during strong north winds. The river crossing can be tough with a back pack. The tides, mountain lions, and if you get caught in a rain storm you can get hypothermia. It didn’t rain im wondering how they got the hypothermia.
Sneaker wave? They were forecast for Thursday
I packed a long board in my teens to Big Flat alongside another female friend. That’s just how we all did it before everyone could afford ski-dos,jet skis and small boats. It’s not uncommon,but yes tough to do.
King tides are approaching again this weekend also.
We are not in the dead of winter either. Sh#t happens. Big surf head injury in water? Slipping on the rocks running around a cliff face? Streams and creeks are low right now.
I agree though that advertising this coastline so very much now is like romanticism.
Tides have to be understood when planning hikes along this coast.
Hoping those injured have complete recovery.
Thank God for a GPS unit, and our fantastic Coast Guard!
A group of hikers couldn’t help their friend buy loaning some warm clothes in the off chance of not having another spare dry layer. I’d put myself in a sleeping bag and tent mean while even if they fell in water at night. I mean maybe the fell in a creek crossing and all their got wet so no sleeping bag? Damn id like to learn from this situation.
All my hikes besides a few are at night or day go into night. The day feels longer mentally because you are always staring at the next headland while squishing along the sand. Been followed by mountain lions, the the water that looks like black oil at night seeming to multiplying all ove the beach unexpectedly while sprinting up the sand. Then those eary night birds that have a lonely omniscient warning call. Yeah all the jet skis and planes are unfortunate. But I can’t blame them. Damn I want to go I probably should get a GPS 🤣