Off-Roaders Hospitalized After Horsethief Canyon Rescue

TEMESCAL VALLEY, CA — Emergency responders from Riverside and Orange counties helped rescue two off-road riders hurt in the Horsethief Canyon area over the weekend, airlifting them out of a remote area before rushing them to the hospital, the Riverside County Fire Department reports.

The injuries were reported at 1:44 a.m. Sunday in the hills above Broken Bit Circle, just off Horsethief Canyon Road, about three miles northwest of Lake Elsinore, according to the fire department.

A total of four riders were at the location, with two of them hurt.

"The first patient was extricated by OCFA Copter 1 and transferred to a waiting ground ambulance and then transported to an area hospital with moderate injuries," the fire department reported. "A second patient was extracted and transported by helicopter to an area hospital also with moderate injuries."

An update on their conditions wasn't immediately available.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock