Family Stranded

November 5, 2017
Tin Mine Canyon, Corona
2017-047

Written by Tyler Shumway

Glen and I received a call out at 12:30pm on Saturday afternoon for a hoist in Tin Mine Canyon. We got our gear and met at Hemet Ryan Airport with Riverside County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit pilot Eric Basta and Technical Flight Officer Ray Hiers. We were informed that a family of four are stranded in the Tin Mine Canyon area and unable to hike out safely due to steep terrain.

Star 9 flew us to the location of the victims and we were safely lowered on a ridgeline which put us about 50 feet above them. We down climbed to the subjects to find the husband and his two sons. The wife had successfully down climbed the portion of trail they had come up prior to our arrival and was safe. She was instructed to hike back the main trail to their vehicle on Skyline Drive.

Rescuers on Ground

Glenn and Tyler with Family waiting for Extraction
Photo by RSO in Helicopter.

It appeared they tried to climb up one of the north ridges of Skinsuit Trail just south of Tin Mine Canyon. They made it roughly 200 feet up a loose and unmaintained trail when they decided it was too steep to continue further.

Meanwhile, Glenn and I escorted the father and his two sons up 50 feet back to the clearing on the ridgeline for safe extraction. We debriefed and suited them up for a hoist. Star 9 took me and one of the sons first and dropped us off at the Skyline Drive Trailhead.

Dad going Up

Dad going Up
Photo by Tyler Shumway.

Star 9 went back for the father and his other son followed by picking up Glenn last. The family was safely back at the road head and the wife had also made it back to the trailhead just as the son and father had been dropped off by Star 9.

Thank you to Riverside County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit for another successful and safe rescue.

RMRU Members Involved: Glenn Henderson and Tyler Shumway.

Other Agency’s Involved: RSO Aviation Pilot Eric Basta and TFO Ray Hiers.