Another Hiker Lost
August 29, 2020
Dripping Springs, Cleveland National Forest
2020-048
Written by Blake Douglas.
RMRU was activated at 11pm on Saturday, August 29 for an overdue hiker in the Dripping Springs area. Cameron Dickenson and I were the only members able to respond.
The Dripping Springs area is, by the standards of mountain rescue, a low-hazard environment except for heat illness during summer days. Callouts to this area are generally due either to the aforementioned heat problems, or to relatively simple navigation errors such as lacking a light source after dark.
On arrival I was greeted by a large turnout of Riverside Sheriff deputies including the dog team, and we coordinated over the small amount of available information. Our subject was not from the area, and had no apparent destination, but we had a phone ping located on the trail, less than half a mile from the trailhead. The best course in these kinds of circumstances is usually to check out the ping coordinates and proceed based on what we find there. Most often, the ping is accurate, and the subject is quickly located. Cameron was in the process of getting the truck, so I proceeded on foot with the dog team.
The subject was located at the ping coordinates, having gotten lost late in the afternoon, and then losing his only light source when his phone battery died. We walked him out without any complications.
Missions like this serve as a reminder to pack the Ten Essentials, and to follow the “Two is One, One is None” protocol for critical supplies such as lights and navigation.
RMRU Members Involved: Cameron Dickinson and Blake Douglas.