Rescuers speak with a man [in shorts] who got lost hiking in Montaña de Oro State Park and was found and successfully brought down from Valencia Peak. Submitted photo
The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team located and rescued a man from the wilds of Montaña de Oro State Park after he phoned for help saying he was lost.
According to Sheriff’s Spokesman Tony Cipolla on the evening of Friday, July 17, State Parks Rangers asked for help locating the man, who is from another country and was visiting family in the area. He’d gotten lost somewhere on Valencia Peak, a popular but challenging hiking spot in the over 20,000 acre state park.
The man had gone hiking alone and just before dusk phoned a family member to say he was lost and his phone’s battery was about to die.
Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers, Cipolla said, Sheriff’s Deputies and the Sheriff’s Unmanned Aerial System Team launch a coordinated air and ground search of the mountain’s trail system.
Submitted photo
About an hour after the search began, Cipolla said, the man was located.
“The hiker was cold and disoriented but otherwise uninjured,” he said. “He was safely escorted back down to the trailhead where he was reunited with his family.” He declined medical treatment.
The case is a chance for Sheriff’s Department to remind everyone of a few precautions they should take when entering a wilderness like Montaña de Oro.
Always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
Carry a fully charged cell phone along with a portable battery pack.
Bring plenty of water and appropriate clothing. Avoid hiking alone whenever possible.
Though Montaña de Oro is right at the edge of Los Osos and is very popular with lots of visitors daily, there are some pretty wild areas, such as Valencia Peak and the entire backcountry. Though there are well-marked and maintained trails throughout the park they traverse through some pretty rugged terrain.
The park is home to a number of predators as well, such as black bears, cougars, and coyotes and also has a healthy population of rattlesnakes.
The park’s coastline can also be dangerous because of sneaker waves. An Arroyo Grande man was recently knocked off a kayak by a sneaker wave and drowned within view of the beach, and people have also been swept off the rocky shore and drowned as well.
