Missing Person
October 23, 2023
Wellman Divide, San Jacinto State Park
2023-040
Written by: Vinay Rao
RMRU was activated in the evening on the 23rd for a lost hiker possibly at Wellman Divide who had hiked from the upper tram to Mt. San Jacinto Peak with a group of friends.
James, Matt, Coby, and I arrived at the lower tram and (James and I) began the process of briefing with the on-site Riverside Sheriff deputies when we noticed a group of people leaving the tram station. While James continued the briefing, I approached the group to ask them where they had hiked and if they had seen anyone matching the description of the lost person. To my surprise, the “lost person” was part of this group!
After an extensive discussion, which took some time because of a language barrier, with the “lost person” and his friend, we determined that they were a party of six who had hiked from the upper tram to the peak of Mt. San Jacinto. At the peak one member of the group began his descent before they others. He soon got a bit dis-oriented but fortunately found one of his other party members, not the others, and they hiked down and took the tram. While this was happening the remaining four thought that the first individual had gone missing, and they called 911 when they were able to get a cell signal on the hike down.
Fortunately, all six hikers reunited at the tram parking lot. After ensuring that none of the six needed any medical attention, we left them in the capable hands of the deputies who gathered basic information on the group, and we all departed.
RMRU Members Involved: (Coby Brown, James Eckhardt, Matt Frenken, Vinay Rao, and Steven Rider)