Updated: Resident Rescued After Being Trapped on Altadena Cliff
The 19-year-old woman was hoisted into a helicopter by deputies and flown uninjured from Millard Canyon to Farnsworth Park, Altadena, Sunday afternoon.
Update: Rich Deleon, an Altadena Search and Rescue member who was on the scene, said the teens were in an area that was clearly closed to hikers.
The group entered the area on the fire road west of Millard Campground, passing signs stating that the area was closed. At that point they began climbing up fire break that was cut by the Forest Service during the Station Fire, climbing higher and steeper until they got stuck.
Deleon said he is pretty sure the hikers were ticketed by the Forest Service after the hike.
He added that the teens rescued by the ropes seemed pretty unconcerned about the entire experience.
"To us and other people it seemed like they were kind of blasé about the predicament like we were coming to get them and it was no big deal," Deleon said.
The hikers did at least thank the rescuers afterward, he noted, but said he hopes they are more careful in the future and stay out of closed areas.
"Hopefully they learned their lesson," Deleon said.
Original: Three South Pas teens—one a 19-year-old woman, who was trapped on a cliff with a 100-foot drop to Millard Canyon—were rescued Sunday around 12:30 p.m. after going on a hike earlier that day, reports Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD).
"The young woman was very scared and nearly let go of the cliff to jump into the arms of ESD Paramedic Deputy Ricky Hernandez as soon as he was close enough to reach out to her," said Sheriff's SEB Sergeant Tom Giandomenico, Crew Chief of the rescue, in a press release Sunday.
"He motioned to her to wait, and was able to attach the safety harness before we hoisted her up into the rescue helicopter. If she had let go before we were ready, she would not have survived the fall."
The group of friends were first noticed around noon by a U.S. Forestry Recreation Technician working in the Angeles National Forest, who then notified rescuers.
Upon arrival, a deputy paramedic, with LASD Air-5 Rescue pilots and Emergency Services Detail, was lowered from a helicopter via hoist as it hovered hundreds of feet above Millard Canyon to rescue the 19-year-old woman. She was hoisted up into the helicopter by deputies and flown uninjured to Farnsworth Park, Altadena.
Meanwhile, the two other people were rescued by ground rescuers.
The Sheriff's Altadena Search and Rescue Team, assisted by Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters from Station 82, used rope lines nearby to assist the 17-year old male and 18-year old female day hikers who were trapped 40 feet above the canyon bottom. It was unsafe for the hikers to climb down and the dirt was too loose above them to climb up, reported LASD.
Deputies and firefighters set up a rope system and provided helmets to the hikers.
Altadena Search and Rescue team reserve deputies then lowered the two people to safety on the canyon floor. They both hiked out of the canyon uninjured with the deputies.
The three rescued teens were reunited with a fourth member of their hiking group, an 18-year old man, who had been able to hike out on his own. All are residents of South Pasadena. The day hikers were all lightly dressed and did not have provisions.
The cliff above Millard canyon is just west of Eaton Canyon in Altadena.
The rescue was videotaped by deputies, who were wearing helmet cameras, according to reports. Video of the air rescue will be available at www.lasd.org later.
“Always be prepared when you go backcountry hiking and don’t overestimate your abilities," noted Sgt. Tom Giandomenico. "Always tell people where you are going and don’t count on your cell phone to work in nature.”
The Air-5 Rescue helicopter crew and the eight Search and Rescue teams of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department average about 350 search and rescue missions every year, making it one of the most active counties for search and rescue missions in the nation.
Related:
Kristen Lepore
8:53 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2012
Just posted screen shots from LASD helmet cams of the rescue today.
Jones Foyer
9:41 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Wow. Spectacular photos.
Natalie
10:18 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
I'd really like to know exactly where this rescue took place. Was it the part of Millard Canyon near the closed waterfall by the campground, or was it much further up the trail beyond the Dawn Mine? At no stage does the trail involve going up a cliff, so I'm wondering what these kids were doing?
Dan Abendschein
10:54 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Natalie - From what we've heard the kids started at the campground trailhead, but I am not sure how far up they went before they started climbing. Either way, they clearly went off trail at some point, and there are lots of places you could do that along the hike.
JenL
10:36 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Honestly trying to understand this kind of situation: from the photo of one of the "hikers", she's wearing inapprioprate clothing, including flat-bottomed sneakers. Her long hair isn't even pulled back,which one would naturally do if planning on climbing anything. What was the plan here? Why take the trouble to drive to a remote, rugged location to climb 100 feet on a muddy unstable cliff, when you don't have any hiking/climbing experience(based on the gear)? I'm stumped. Not trying to be snide, and I'm very glad there weren't injuries...I just don't get it. 19 years old isn't 12 or 13, the age when one might expect such total lack of judgement/naivete.
Barbara Eisenstein, Contributor
10:50 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
We were hiking yesterday in Millard Canyon and saw the helicopter and hikers across the canyon. So very glad it had a happy ending!
Natalie
11:01 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
They can't get up Millard from the campground, Dan, as it's fenced off in a very dramatic way at the campsite, isn't it? Maybe this was downstream from the camp? Or maybe they walked up to the Sunset trail from the campground? Barbara, how far up the canyon was the helicopter? I'm interested as it's the second cliff rescue in the past 6 months. Are these people going the wrong way up after losing the trail? (Of course, they're not allowed up any of it, as I don't think the section to the Dawn Mine is officially open yet, is it?)
Dan Abendschein
11:09 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Natalie, I'm not sure if it is fenced off or not, but Kristen Lepore, the South Pas editor, got an email suggesting that the campground host at Millard (who sometimes comments here) met them and told them the trail was closed, so I was thinking they likely entered from the campground. I will try to get some more info from search and rescue folks on how it went down. I do remember that other rescue from a few months back - very similar case.
Dan Abendschein
11:41 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Natalie, the article is now updated with some more precise location information, and from what rescuers are saying, the hikers were in areas that were clearly marked as closed.
Kristen Lepore
11:20 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
@Natalie: The email indicates it was the closed off canyon upstream toward the falls. We will keep you updated if/when we obtain more details.
Kristen Lepore
11:46 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
We just posted additional photos and video footage here: http://patch.com/A-qvsR
David Couch
12:16 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
I am a cabin caretaker there and the kids went up brown Mountain dirt fire Road which goes through the campground and then up near the top of the ridge where they traversed over and Northward (upstream) for Canyon access of which there is none.
Many, many do not enter closed signs and high fencing where the Campground and Brown Mountain road intersect at the narrow and steep canyon mouth to make aware and deter hikers from attempting to hike to the closed area and falls but people seem to not care about the consequences. They were told to not enter when initially they asked to and then just sneaked in. The 75 dollar fine levied is pittance for the cost of personnel involved to get them safely out and the cost of lives put in jeopardy and may tell some thrill seekers that the low fine can warrant taking the risk where rewards outweigh fines. And they did illegal entry past no trespassing signs, go figure. I was there when the Forest service woman was writing out the ticket. I noticed the kids laughing all through this at rescue and after. How sad.
Dave
Natalie
12:37 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Natalie
12:37 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Thanks for the detailed info, David. There seems to be a huge "need" to get to this waterfall - almost every weekend up at the Sunset fire road I meet groups of young people asking how they can get to it. In summer, they even had their swimming things with them! There must be websites pointing them there, as there are with the upper waterfall at Eaton Canyon. I'm not sure why the Millard waterfall remains closed (that big rock isn't going to come down anytime soon) but I'm not keen to have it reopened, because the area could then be trashed and defaced the way Eaton Canyon by the falls has been.
mister altadena
1:08 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
I certainly wouldn't refer to these "hikers" as "woman" and "man". More like female & male.
They aren't adults in my book. Raise the fine!!!! I hope the "minors" had their parents called to come pick them up. They should also be made to appear in court on trespassing charges (not just a fine) and any other charge that can stick.
That said, I'm still not in favor of closing of trails or keeping hikers out; just make the dumb "hikers" pay ($$) for their poor judgement (hiking on closed trails &/or trespassing).
David Couch
1:16 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Natalie
The need to preserve the ecosystem, foliage growing back, root structure of plants and trees barely hanging on to life is a very big and important thing after the devastating Station fire swept through this area and luckily left a small swath of non burnt land that is a core to Plants and animals returning in the onetime abundance that was here for eons. Time for regrowth and being kept from being trodden on, pulled and abuse.is needed. The hike to the falls is very much different than in the past before the Station fire with many dangers now. Trees have fallen from root structures being decimated from the Station fires heat and they gradually succumb to this stress of that and regularly fall. It is a mix match of fallen trees and huge boulders all along the way to the falls. There never has been a cleared trail, only intermittent paths with bolder climbing and such and now it is much, much harder. Unlimited access would certainly lead to many sprained ankles, broken legs and such even with good hikers. Search and rescue people would need to be summoned for help. This is free and taxpayer driven and also takes personnel away from availability for actual life saving focus. I think it will eventually be opened again in a year or two after more time of regrowth and stabilization and hopefully when it does their would be a disclaimer involved for liability stating entering at own risk and rescue cost borne by hiker.
Dave
lonnie fehr
1:24 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
group was four together. they was informed closed area ,. tried going around via mountain peak . which there is no way get to falls . yes they thought this was a big joke . cost la county , emergency vehicles , air 5 , usfs , altadena search and rescue etc . . between station fire and floods that went through here , boulders loss of soil etc in creek bed roaring through here killed about 80 percent of the alder trees .which are falling , branches and bark falling off . plus burnt hillsides rocks boulders are coming down , unsafe . there is no trail . they started removing the snag trees by campground [ ie dead / falling ] for safety here , campers etc . millard creek area is closed from millard campground all way past dawn mine .. above falls in creek there also is signs stating closed .
lonnie fehr
1:42 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
ps , my hats off to altadena search and rescue , la county fire etc . there expertise / knowledge etc in saving people . could of been some very serious injury's or ,,,,,...... From mountain ridge down to millard creek , is about 300 ft down .
Kristen Lepore
1:48 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
We just uploaded additional video footage from the helicopter ride/rescue via LASD: http://patch.com/A-qvsR And thanks to David for sharing his photos.
JenL
2:57 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Although no one answered me directly, I gues I got my answers: they were trying to get to a waterfall off-trail. And apparently although they're old enough to know better, they are/were deeply stupid, both in their attempt and especially in their nonchalant reaction to their rescue. Hats off to the LASD rescuers.
Lisa Hastings
7:37 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Here we go again.