Lost Hiker Falls Into Frigid Waters Of Pinecrest Lake Luckily Rescued
Pinecrest, CA — A second rescue of stranded hikers at Pinecrest Lake came in just over a week and one person in this recent case fell into the water creating a life-threatening situation.
Monday evening around 6:35 p.m., a distress call from two hikers at the east end of the lake came into the Tuolumne County Fire Department (TCFD). They report that the “couple had been hiking around the lake for four hours, with one falling into the water.” While in the deep, frigid, snow, exhausted and with daylight fading, they were lucky to find a cabin to seek shelter, according to fire officials.
Meanwhile, five volunteer TCSO SAR members, three Pinecrest Station 55 personal and one sheriff’s deputy carrying warm clothes, snowshoes, and rescue equipment hiked an hour and a half to the cabin. Changed into dry clothing the hikers also equipped with snowshoes and the crew all walked to the parking area where an ambulance was waiting. The couple was checked out for hypothermia and cold-related illness and then released.
Fire officials relay that this is the second group of hikers having to be rescued without proper gear for the conditions, no snowshoes, food water, etc. As reported here, on Saturday, Feb. 6th three hikers had to be rescued after being stranded for seven hours in the deep cold snow.
Also, of note, one of the SAR volunteers, Brendan Danicourt, left his own 23rd birthday party to help rescue the hikers.
