[New Video] Multiple Agencies Rescue Stranded Hikers on Lost Coast Trail
Press release from Shelter Cove Fire:
On March 22, 2025, at approximately 14:22, the Shelter Cove Fire Department was dispatched for a hiker stranded on a cliff near Miller Flat in the King Range National Conservation Area. Given the rugged terrain and history of multiple rescues in the same area, the Shelter Cove Duty Officer immediately requested air rescue support from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay.
Locations of hikers 1 and 2 marked on this photo by Shelter Cove Fire District.
With no safe land access, the Shelter Cove Fire Department Ocean Rescue Team deployed a rescue boat and jet ski with four rescue swimmers. The team located the victims approximately eight miles north of Shelter Cove. Upon reaching shore, rescue swimmers found two hikers stranded 75-100 feet above the beach on a near-vertical landslide. One hiker had fallen and was unable to move up or down, making it unsafe for rescuers to access him by land.
Working in coordination with Shelter Cove rescuers on the ground, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Humboldt Bay arrived on the scene and conducted two complex high-angle hoist rescues.
Each victim was safely airlifted and transported to awaiting ambulances at the Shelter Cove Airport for medical evaluation.Given the complexity of the operation, Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue and Telegraph Ridge Fire Rescue stood by as contingency resources.Coast Guard helicopter attempting to rescue stranded hikers on the Lost Coast. [Image from Shelter Cove Fire Department]
This rescue required the coordinated efforts of six different agencies, utilizing millions of dollars of specialized equipment and extensive training to ensure a safe and professional outcome. Twenty dedicated rescuers, most of them volunteers, worked together with paid crews to execute this highly technical operation, demonstrating exceptional skill and teamwork.
The Shelter Cove Fire Department extends its gratitude to all agencies involved in this challenging rescue, including Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue Team, US Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay, Cal Fire Kneeland Helitack, City Ambulance, Telegraph Ridge Fire Department, and the Cal Fire Fortuna Dispatch Center.
We remind hikers planning to explore the Lost Coast Trail to study the route and stay on marked trails. Always be prepared for delays, including carrying extra food, water, and emergency supplies.Rescuers looking at stranded hikers on the Lost Coast. [Photo from Shelter Cove Fire District]
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Again? Really? Notice how the article didn’t mention where these hikers were from. Bet they didn’t live in Humboldt. Time to start requiring a permit to hike there with an agreement that if you need to be rescued YOU pay not the locals who are already strapped.
Large signs at each end of that trail to that effect would be a good start. Make it real clear that this beautiful landscape CAN and DOES kill people who are careless or too optimistic. And that if a hiker needs rescue due to poor judgement they will be charged for the service.
But can there be so many that work so hard to get stuck there? I keep wondering if there are a bunch of published hiking guides that are light on warnings and big on enthusiasm.
We are all charged tis is what taxes are for
Signs exist with maps at all trailheads.
People ignore signs even if they were lit up and you can see them from 5 miles away. Terrain and gravity are good indicators of trouble to avoid. Not even closing or blockading trails will keep out the determined ones. Best you can do is pick them off the bluff and send them the rescue bill.
Looks like if that lower “hiker” had slid a little farther down the hill it might have been a recovery effort. That section of hillside even up where they were trying to go around is extremely steep. I’ve been in there hunting a time or two and if you get in the wrong spot it can really make your butthole pucker up.
Slow down. They do have a permit system. The permit system may actually have created an unintended consequence of hikers planning trips around the dates they finally got instead of the weather, and seasons. At first the permit tied you to a date, and if you canceled for storms or health reasons, you missed your chance. I have heard that BLM has changed the permit system a bit where it’s easier to try again if you need to cancel your hike.
A common denominator in recreational accidents is continuing on when the signs are telling you stop. One might spend a lot of time and money planning and traveling to a distant place to hike, or ski, or hang glide or whatever. It can be really difficult to cancel your plans if the winds or wrong, there’s a high avalanche danger, or you had the shits for two days right before your hike….or you have to wait four hours for the tide.
That sounds like fascism did you vote for commala
Kamala was NOT the fascist in the race. Those of us with more than 1 brain cell know who the fascist is. The rest drank the koolaid and can no longer distinguish reality
Go troll somewhere else.
Totally off subject. You need a reality check.
I don’t understand. You seem to be right-wing, but you take objection to someone proposing that there be bills for rescue. I don’t agree with that, but it’s just like bills for private healthcare, which is something that conservatives seem to support.
Permits are required and monitored. In orders to purchase a permit, hikers must agree they reviewed and understand safety information on the permit site. http://www.recreation.gov
“… must agree they reviewed and understand safety information on the permit site.”
You are correct, but if I might add, most of us have become accustomed to skimming the info or scrolling straight through to the bottom of the page to check the “I agree” box allowing us to proceed to the next step. Granted, downloading an app is much less dangerous in the end, but that’s how we’ve been conditioned to get through online documents: fill in blanks, scroll, check box, proceed with purchase, hope falling off a cliff is just a part of a game you downloaded. Like CsMisadventures said above, “People ignore signs even if they were lit up… “.
Over 90 % of american drivers consider themselves “above average” in their driving abilities. From personal experience and being professionally trained I know over 90% of american drivers are clueless. I can extrapolate that to hikers. Many think themselves experienced most are clueless. I.E. the ones that need rescued.
I’ll agree with that. When it comes to hiking, backpacking, camping, I consider myself “above average” at knowing when to say, “Yeaaaah, no! I don’t want to end up on the front page or 11 o’clock news, or worse, RHBB and the comments section.” I’ll admit some of that “above average” knowledge came from skirting death 20-40 years ago and having the wherewithal to learn from it.
Regarding driving, Im not “above average” by any means, but I honestly believe riding a motorcycle as a daily commute, rain or shine, for years, has made me a better, more attentive, driver.
If you ride a bike(motor) and are still alive you are above average.
The more rescues the various agencies do, the better they get at coordinating rescues. It real-time training.
No more help! Just lots of cameras and a cash prize if you make it out alive.
I agree peaseblossom!
Maybe one of them was stabbed by a bear, smh
Maybe john ford can abate them for being a nuisance.
Personally I much rather see my tax money going to this kind of rescue operation, then allowing druggies and alcoholics to lay around on the streets all day.. But I may have a bit of a biased opinion when it comes to search and rescue ?♂️
darwin award material
Please do tell,who receives the county funds that come from your tax dollars to let people lie around? What are the numbers? Where did you get the info on the groups, ie where is S&R not getting funds while other groups are? Was this an item at BOS? If so pls provide date.
No? Of course, its so much better to just mouth off with no info to back you up.
Your comment makes no sense.
Youd rather pay for them to be in jail for having nowhere to live? Have you been to a major city lately? Our homeless problem pales. I know people doing tons of drugs but theyre not homeless. Thats ok with you?
Plus maybe you dont get that funds that are given by any agency are earmarked for certain projects&only allowed to be used for said projects.
Vfds are mainly funded by donations, so if youre wanting to show support give them money.
Soooo money for S&R has nothing to do with money for homeless.
If youre really concerned then get involved, advocate for more fundsfor S&R. Especially right now.
Homeless and trans people are not ruining your lives,billionaires are. Who without their money would be that junkie on the street, ketamines the drug of choice for the them.
I wholeheartedly feel that anyone is deserving of being rescued, no matter how foolishly they arrived at their emergency situation.
ALL rescue personnel are trained to take care of themselves and not become part of the problem. They make up training situations similar to these rescues all the time. No one complains about the expense of the training drills, other than the need for a special schedule.
Most rescues involve only available personnel, and the ones that can’t be there are usually disappointed. There is just nothing like a real live rescue. It is a feel-good situation, and a real moral builder for the rescuers. Been there, done that. Miss it badly…
Be a hero, join a volunteer Fire Department, and take your training seriously! It is also a good start for an amazing career.
Great comment, Ernie! If I was younger and could start over and I read your comment that’s what I’d be doing… Maybe these people getting rescued can kick down some hours in support of such endeavors- or maybe even mandated to do some community service? You’re right that everybody deserves to be rescued. Yet foolhardy folks that need rescuing due to their own bad decisions should give something back also….
There is a spot that is not passable at high tide. If they waited a couple of hours they could have made it with out help. And it was smart to get up the bank.
“Descents are more dangerous than ascents”
-unknown-
______________________________________
Going up the face was the safest and only thing that they could do, under the circumstances…
Coming back down the face, to the beach, even after the tide receded, wasn’t the safest option…
At that point, they needed rescue…
“It was smart to go up the bank”…
It was also smart to not risk the more dangerous option of trying to come back down, unassisted…
They did the right thing by staying put…
All’s well, that ends well…
SALUTE…!!!, and, BIG RESPECT, to the Coast Guard, Technical Rescue, Shelter Cove Fire Department, EMS, and all others that assisted…
They are all heroes in my book…
https://www.2hstrategies.com/blog/going-down-is-more-dangerous-than-going-up
Ernie, what a wonderful comment! I agree with you 100%. But considering these to people got themselves into a pickle I think it is time for folks wanting to hike that trail need to obtain a permit and fill out a form explaining when and where they plan to go. If they come to a spot that looks unsafe just turn around and go back or find a safer route. They put many lives at risk by needing the Coast Guard to fly in and help for two dangerous lifts one for each person. I was a volunteer fireman with the Miranda Fire Department many years ago and proud to be able to help folks in need, car accidents, fires, medical issues, etc. I chose a different path in life, but like you I do miss my fellow volunteers.
Ernie, you’re right. But some folks count on being rescued and don’t use common sense. Well trained rescuers still risk their lives for idiots. I would not mind if someone was charged for the costs of their rescue if the “victim” clearly ignored warnings of avoidable hazards, such as hiking the Lost Coast at high tide. If, of course, those charges went to the local volunteer responders.
Thank you to all the responders, what a great example of mutual aid and working together. We are fortunate indeed, to have these resources and their dedicated personnel in our area.
Accidents can happen to anyone, experienced or not, and I agree – everyone deserves to be rescued.
Darwin needs to be allowed to rule. This is why the species is getting stupider and stupider. Not sure who’s the bigger fool here, the rescued or the rescuers.
Zipline, please don’t include the rescuers in with the idiots that needed to be rescued. Your comment sounds like all the rescuers all fools.
Why not? Our POTUS thinks all veterans are losers.
Veterans are NOT losers!!! Your comment has nothing to do with this article.
Sorry for the
non sequitur (English: /nɒn ˈsɛkwɪtər/non SEK-wit-ər, Classical Latin:[noːn ˈsɛkᶣɪtʊr]; “[it] does not follow”) is a conversational literary device, often used for comedic purposes.
Hint to ‘Lost Coast’ hikers:
—
Pay attention to the tides.
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At a High Tide… you may have to wait out the tide… rather than scale cliffs.
Works the same going North as going South (Point No Pass) from Shelter Cove.
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Storms can wash out the sand (nasty stuff)…
leaving bare rocky beaches (even worse stuff).
Our heroes.
Mt Hood charges for rescueing hikers who do stupid things. Just to start the rescue helicopter costs 10 thousand bucks.
Mt. Hood doesn’t, in fact, routinely charge for rescues but Oregon law allows charging up to $500 for people who are found to be negligent and failed to take basic steps to keep themselves safe. In reality, most rescue agencies are against it for several reasons, but primarily because of the concern that rescues become far more dangerous and potentially life threatening when/if a rescuee starts considering the cost. In other words, many people will hesitate or delay calling for help when they consider the cost they will incur, leading to a riskier operation. On the flip side, wealthier climbers/hikers/skiiers may be incentivized to take unreasonable risks that are beyond their skill set if they know they can simply call for help and pay for the rescue. Here is a statement from the Mountain Rescue Association opposing charging for rescues:
https://pmru.org/common/pdf/MRAChargePosition.pdf
The Lost Coast is a challenging trail and it sounds like these guys got unlucky, one of them falling – which can happen to anyone. From what I’ve read, they were not trying to escape tides, they simply got on the wrong trail and one fell. This is precisely what Search and Rescue is for and should be commended for. And the boys shouldn’t be vilified.
Thank you rescue personnel. Very dangerous for all evolved. Accidents aren’t planned and I’m sure the rescued people have learned a serious life changing lesson
The one at the bottom of the cliff is my nephew, he’s 29 a wonderful kid and great athlete, captain of the soccer team and ran track in HS. He fell 100 feet from the top of the cliff but was able to hold on for 2-hours until the rescuers came and saved his life. He suffered a dislocated shoulder and gash in his hand with stiches. The other hiker is his best HS buddy. They’re not locals but have been in CA for several years. Thank you for all the nice posts, some of the bad ones made be chuckle but you have no connection so it’s easy to bash real people in bad situations.
Thank you to all the hero rescuers, because of what you do our family gets to enjoy countless more summer vacations, thanksgivings, and family events with my nephew. Stay safe and be well.
Thank you for sharing some details. We’re glad to hear that your nephew will recover.
Lots of nice places inland. Leave the coastal adventures to people who know how to plan things out prior to requiring expense rescue the county can’t afford.
I have to say it’s pretty refreshing to see someone responding to some of the meaner comments with such grace. Behind our screens and keyboards we can lose a lot of our humanity and empathy and simply jump to conclusions, often wrongly, while choosing to be much less kind that we would be in person. Glad your nephew and his friend are safe. Anyone could fall on some of that trail and suffer similar injuries.
A permit is required to backpack the lost coast trail, and you must carry a bear proof canister for food, a permit is not needed to day hike the lost coast trail. Not sure if these people were day trippers or backpackers. Glad they were rescued.