Three Autistic Men Lost and Found in Eaton Canyon Thursday Night

Three autistic men had to be walked out of Eaton Canyon by search and rescue teams Thursday night after they became separated from their group on a hike later that afternoon, according to Rich Deleon of the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team.

The operation ended up being extremely lenghthy, said Deleon, lasting about six hours.

The men had been on a hike with a group from a local facility that cares for autism and other special needs patients, he said.

The three lost hikers wandered off from the group after becoming scared by the sound of rushing water from the waterfalls in the Eaton Canyon area, Deleon added.

A fourth hiker also wandered off but was found almost immediately, he said.

The search and rescue team spotted the men with the helicopter, and went in to help them hike back out.

One of the men had actually lost his shoes, and the team had to find another pair to hike in with so the man could hike out safely, Deleon said.

The men were in their 20s, he added.  The operation concluded around 9 p.m.