Authorities stated that two 17-year-old guys are fortunate to still be alive after becoming caught in a snowstorm on a multi-day hike on a mountain trail in Southern California last week.
Riley Ramirez, of Cyprus, California, and Cole White, of Portland, Oregon, were on a 10-day hike on the Pacific Crest Trail close to the San Gorgonio Mountains when the severe weather dumped feet of snow in the mountains and prevented them from reaching help, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office reported Friday.
Rescuers Found Teen Hikers Stranded in Snowstorm
Riley Ramirez and Cole White were both unable to reach help because of their situation. Ramirez’s father, Cesar Ramirez, told The Associated Press that he called the sheriff’s department for assistance after losing communication with the teenagers.
The daring rescue occurred as inhabitants of mountain villages in California were struggling to be rescued from up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow after back-to-back storms pummeled the state.
In San Bernardino County, where the heavy snowfall has closed highways, resulted in power outages, collapsed roofs, and confined residents in their homes for days, a State of emergency has been proclaimed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 13 counties, including San Bernardino County.
The lads had been huddling together for three nights to stay warm, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Scalise, and were fortunate to be alive despite having mild hypothermia.
He claimed that while they were ready for the hike, they weren’t ready for the significant snowfall.
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Separate Rescue Operation
A man was discovered waving inside his partially snow-covered car in a second rescue mission farther north in Inyo County on Thursday after the California Highway Patrol discovered a cellphone ping associated with him and dispatched a helicopter team.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office in the county on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, he drove away from Big Pine. He vanished on February 24.
As per the National Weather Service in Sacramento, another powerful storm dropped more snow on Northern California’s mountain villages on Saturday, and a winter storm warning was in place through early Monday.
While the Red Cross has set up a shelter at a nearby high school, authorities in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains have been working to clear roads and provide food, water, and blankets to locals who have been hammered by snow.
The National Weather Service in San Diego predicts a small possibility of snow showers for the area on Sunday. Due to the difficulties in removing all of the snow, authorities have warned that some households may remain confined for another week.
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