Two teenagers spent “a really cold night” on Mount Baldy, CA, Monday after getting separated from their school hiking group.
A group of three staff and 51 pupils from Downey High School were hiking the Devil’s Backbone and Ski Hut trails on the 10,066-foot mountain in Southern California. The majority of the group returned safely to the parking lot and left, not realizing there were 15 lost on the mountain.
The lost group called 911 at 7 pm when it became clear they would not be able hike out safely. Rescuers airlifted 13 teens and adults to safety, but two others had become separated from that group and remained on the mountain.
Andrea Jauregui, 15, and Andres Juarez, 16, had become separated from the others when Jauregui got hurt.
“All of a sudden, we tried to go up the mountain and we saw no one, and we kept going but we couldn’t find anyone.”
– Andrea Jauregui told KTLA
The teens tried shouting for help and signaling with a phone flashlight until the battery died, but ultimately ended up spending “a really cold night” on the mountain. Volunteers searched through the night and found them Tuesday morning.
Downey Unified School District officials said they will review the incident.
Glad they got out ok!
Mt Baldy is like 10k high, maybe the 4k figure here is for trail vertical or something?