Night Vision Used to Rescue 5 Lost Hikers

August 12, 2018, 8:44 am 6.8k Views 5 Comments

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Helicopters with County Fire and Search and Rescue located five lost hikers using night vision on Sunday morning.

At approximately 11:00 p.m.  Saturday, Santa Barbara County Firefighters responded with the Sheriff’s Department as well as Sheriff’s Search & Rescue (SAR) Units to the area of Miranda Pine Campground, in the Los Padres National Forest, near the Cuyama Valley for a possible medical emergency involving an overdue hunter.  The male was one of five that were overdue and possibly lost.

The SAR coordinator requested the help of the County’s Air Support Unit Sheriff’s Copter 2 in locating the subjects using their night vision and infrared capabilities. Fire Copter 308, with two Fire Paramedics from Station 32 aboard, also flew to the scene. Copter 2 located two of the separated hikers and vectored Fire Copter in for the paramedic assessment/hoisting operation.

With no moon, lights, and very steep rugged terrain, it presented a very challenging mission for the pilots, even using the Night Vision Goggles.  A Fire/Paramedic was lowered approximately 50 feet to the men.  After a thorough assessment, it was determined that one of the hikers was suffering from severe dehydration and disorientation.  Due to the ridgeline and dust cloud created causing concern for the pilot already with limited visibility, the men were hoisted back aboard Fire Copter 308 from a higher distance of almost 90 feet.  With fuel levels becoming a concern, the copter flew to Santa Barbara Airport, where they were met by an AMR ground ambulance for transport to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

Sheriff’s Copter 2 remained overhead back at Miranda Pine Campground along with Sheriff’s Deputy and Search and Rescue, who all continued their search for the 3 remaining people.  

The SAR personnel on foot were able to locate the three and hiked out safely with the entire incident completed on Sunday morning at approximately 7:00 a.m.

 

[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated and corrected with information from Santa Barbara County Fire Department Public Information Officer Mike Eliason]

Edhat Staff

Written by Edhat Staff

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5 Comments

  1. Maybe what needs to happen on these trails is the installation of a box at the beginning of each trail, with the boxes containing pieces of red or hot pink-colored ribbon. (No plastic, please.) Ribbons would be color-coded for the trail the hikers intend to take. Then the hikers tie a ribbon around a twig every so often, on the way up the trail, so that they, the hikers, can find their way back. I suppose the ribbons will have to have tiny solar LEDs attached for the yahoos who like to hike but can’t be bothered to take flashlights and who can’t grasp the fact that, yes, the sun sets in the evening and before you know it you won’t be able to see your hand in front of your face.

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  4. Exactly. You’re not seeing things, you’re just smart enough to consider point of view. (POV) So what’s looking down on the helicopter? Rescue units NEVER fly above each other like that, do they? Why does the guy on the ground appear to have binoculars? One answer is, this was a training exercise sold as “lost hikers. How were they lost? What were there names? How much money was wasted in this excursion?

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