“We are grateful that the hiker was located and rescued, and that no law enforcement or search and rescue personnel was injured during this 12-hour operation.  This was obviously a team effort and required much effort.  We thank all involved for their protection and public safety service.”

CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

MONTEREY COUNTY – The Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, along with CalFire, Big Sur Fire, Urban Search and Rescue and California State Parks completed a nearly 12-hour rescue mission during blustery weather conditions, of a hiker who reported becoming hypothermic while hiking in Andrew Molera State Park east of Highway 1.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office was notified at about 12:00 p.m. on February 13th, 2025, that a subject had sent out an SOS activation from a GPS device indicating they were hypothermic and needed help while hiking in Andrew Molera State Park.

Members of Monterey County Search and Rescue, Urban Search and Rescue, Big Sur Fire, CalFire and California State Parks, set out to search for the patient who was on a trail that required rescuers to hike about eight miles and about 4000 feet in elevation. Weather conditions were not favorable and contributed to the amount of time needed to reach and extract the subject who was located shortly after 5:30 p.m.  A request for assistance was made for California Highway Patrol’s H-70 helicopter. The helicopter responded but had to turn back due to weather conditions.

The subject was carried back down the trail and transferred to a waiting ambulance at about midnight, about 12 hours after the rescue operation began. The rescue covered approximately eight miles of very steep and rugged trails during blustery weather conditions due to the atmospheric river that was over the region.

Sheriff Tina Nieto stated, “Monterey County has one of the best Search and Rescue teams in the State of California who are always ready to go out and help those in need of rescuing in our back country. It is still important to remind our residents and guests to be aware of their abilities when setting out on hikes. Always carry proper supplies and utilize appropriate clothing and consider weather conditions. The weather conditions on February 13th, were not favorable for hiking, making this situation dangerous, not only for the public, but for our rescuers as well.”