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Lost Coast Trail Hiker Clings to Cliff Face by Trekking Poles for Over an Hour Before Getting Rescued
Two hikers on California’s remote Lost Coast Trail found themselves in a dire predicament last Saturday after they accidentally strayed off course, inadvertently following a game trail instead of the official footpath into what officials described as “a very dangerous portion of the cliffs above the beach.” One of the hikers fell over the edge and slid over 100 feet down the near-vertical landslide, where he clung, unable to move up or down, for over an hour while a painstaking multiagency rescue effort was mounted.
The hiker had dislocated his shoulder and was “barely holding on with hiking poles 60 feet above another unstable cliff,” according to a US Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Humboldt Bay press release. Shelter Cove Fire was the first agency to respond to the scene around 2:20 p.m. and quickly called in air support from the Coast Guard, determining that it would be too dangerous to reach the hikers by land.
Rescuers on the beach look up at the stranded hiker clinging to the bluff. Photo: Shelter Cove Fire
Ultimately, a Coast Guard helicopter was able to airlift the hiker to safety. Racing against deteriorating weather and a rapidly depleting fuel tank, the same helicopter then returned and extracted his companion, who had been stranded at the top of the cliffs but was uninjured.
“Both hoists required intense crew coordination due to the loose cliffside, dead trees, and limited power. The Shelter Cove Fire Ocean Rescue team provided crucial decisions and communication to make the evolution successful,” said USCG Humboldt Bay.
No further details have been released about the hikers at this time.
Red arrows indicate the locations of the two stranded hikers. Photo: Shelter Cove Fire
The Lost Coast Trail is one of northern California’s premier backpacking routes. The remote path hugs the shoreline for much of its 52-mile length. “We remind hikers planning to explore the Lost Coast Trail to study the route and stay on marked trails,” said Shelter Cove Fire Department, one of the agencies involved in the rescue. “Always be prepared for delays, including carrying extra food, water, and emergency supplies.”
Featured image: US Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay
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Comments 3
This looks like it’s on the southern section of the Lost Coast. Unlike the well-travelled and permitted northern section, the southern section is poorly maintained, not well signed, and has all sorts of use trails. One section was so bad I had to bushwhack inland up to a logging/OHV road to finish my hike. I’m not surprised there was an incident. Such a shame this great trail is disappearing into scrub, poison oak, and collapsed trail.
I will correct myself. I went to the Coast Guard site and found that this incident was on the northern section. That is well marked so I’m not sure how the hikers got off track.
Kudos again for the USCG. Might suggest that with the FEMA downsizing that all the communities along the coast help out by joining if you have skills to their nearest USCG Auxiliary. They even train you!