An injured hiker was rescued after he and a friend decided to end their hike on Tuesday June 12 near the Tenaja Falls area of the Cleveland National Forest, Sgt. Chad Loeffler said in a report.
Tenaja Falls. (contributed image)
To read about a similar rescue click here.
The injured hiker, 23-year-old Michael Geneau, called for help from his cell phone at about 10 p.m. to report he was bleeding badly from a previous injury. The cell phone connection was lost and rescuers were unable to re-establish contact with the hikers.
Sheriff’s deputies contacted the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit and the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team and they began rescue efforts, a Riverside County Sheriff’s press release stated.
Sheriff’s deputies went to the Tenaja Falls trail head and scoured the area and eventually located Geneau and his friend Mitchell Rossi at 1:30 a.m., four hours after the distress call was made.
The hikers were led to safety where a medical team was waiting to treat Geneau.
Law enforcement officials strongly advise hikers to be prepared when headed out to hike.
Proper preparedness also includes a well-thought-out travel plan shared with friends and family, as well as familiarity with common hiking equipment, such as GPS, maps and compasses, proper clothing and plenty of water.
Cal Fire officials stressed the importance of not overestimating your hiking abilities or underestimating the terrain.
“Accidents and delays can happen so be prepared for those situations,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson emphasized in a previous story.
The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit offers several helpful, lifesaving tips at their website, www.rmru.org
Stephanie D. Schulte is writer/photographer with SWRNN. She can be reached at stephanie.schulte@swrnn.com.
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