A man recalls discovering a woman who had been stranded for four nights after her truck drove off a road and tumbled to the bottom of a canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains.
The crash happened on Jan. 7 as the woman was driving on Mt. Baldy Road, according to the San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team. The woman had swerved to avoid hitting a deer when her car tumbled 250 feet downhill before landing at the bottom of a canyon.
The severe crash left the woman injured and with a broken ankle. Her truck, which wasn’t visible from the main road, was completely destroyed. With no cell signal, she couldn’t call for help.
As the days and nights dragged on amid frigid mountain temperatures, the woman remained stranded with hopes of a rescue dwindling.
Then one day, a passing fisherman, Chris Ayres, was searching for new fishing waters. He suddenly heard someone’s faint calls for help. As he walked closer to the voice, that’s when he discovered the injured woman.
“You could tell right away it was a truck,” recalled Ayres of the crash scene. “She was standing up with her head through the driver’s side window and she was pretty banged up. She had black eyes, she had some bleeding from her head.”
Ayres said the woman asked if he had water while he found enough cell service to call 911.
Los Angeles County fire rescue crews arrived at the scene with a helicopter. The injured woman was hoisted up and airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Crew members went down the canyon to inspect the crash and retrieve her personal belongings.
Authorities said the woman was fortunate to have enough supplies stored in her pickup to survive four nights.
“It’s a miracle,” Ayres said. “I don’t see how she did it. She started telling me about a coyote that kept bugging her and getting around her.”
After receiving treatment, the woman was released from the hospital. Ayres spoke with her on the phone and said she is doing much better as she continues recovering at home.
The San Gabriel Mountains was the site of several serious or fatal incidents last year involving hikers who were lost or trapped amid the treacherous wintry landscape. Several hikers were found dead in 2023 including British actor Julian Sands, 65.
Officials warn the area is not for inexperienced hikers and presents many dangers during the winter.
“Mount Baldy is not really your training ground,” explained Eric Vetere from West Valley Search and Rescue. “Mount Baldy is a destination hiking spot, a mountaineering spot, an ice climbing spot for many.”
As the winter season grows colder and icier, Vetere expects more calls for search and rescue crews when storms begin gaining traction.
“Many times when people find themselves in harm’s way, it’s because they weren’t prepared,” Vetere said. “They didn’t bring the right equipment with them.”
During winter months, authorities have consistently warned the public of the acute dangers of icy trails and gusty winds along Mount Baldy hiking trails.
County officials are advising anyone who visits the mountain area to stay safe with these tips:
- Make sure you are experienced, have proper gear and training and are prepared for alpine conditions (that includes crampons, ice axes and proper clothing)
- Always hike with a partner
- Bring enough food, water and a first-aid kit
- Look up weather conditions (both current and forecasted) for the area
- Bring a location tracking or GPS device
- Make sure your cellphone has a full charge and bring a charged extra power pack for it
- Let someone know where you’re going and when, as well as what time you might be back
- Heed all posted warning signs
- “Most importantly – If you don’t know, please don’t go!”