Lost Mountain Bikers Rescued in Near-Freezing Temperatures

Rescuers from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Orange County Fire Authority were airlifted this morning to where two men became stranded while mountain biking in the Cleveland National Forest and were walking them to the safety of a command post, authorities said.

The girlfriend of one of the men contacted the sheriff’s department about 7 p.m. Sunday when they failed to meet her at a restaurant as planned, said Orange County sheriff’s Lt. Lloyd Downing.

Then, the phone of one mountain biker regained enough power to be used to call 911, and the sheriff’s department was able to locate the men using its GPS, Downing said. They were between the Blue Jay Campgrounds and San Juan Hot Springs.

The sheriff’s helicopter was able to drop them some water and they lit a fire in a fire ring to keep warm, he said.

The sheriff’s helicopter returned after refueling with the Orange County Fire Authority helicopter, which lowered rescuers to the mountain bikers to help walk them to Ortega Highway, Downing said.

City News Service