Hiking Culver City Woman Rescued

By Lynne Bronstein

Observer Reporter

A Culver City woman, who was hiking in Mount San Jacinto State Park on Saturday and met with an injury, was rescued by the collaborative efforts of the California Highway Patrol and the State Parks rescue team.

Todd Friedman, a State Parks ranger and spokesman for the park, said that at about 4 p.m., a call was received about an injured hiker at Wellman's Divide. A State Parks rescue team was assembled, consisting of one ranger and four State Park Aides. One member of the team hiked three miles and within an hour found the injured woman who, it was determined, was unable to make it down the mountain on her own.

When the rest of the State Park team arrived with additional equipment, they gave medical assistance to the woman and contacted the Highway Patrol for more help.

Sergeant Mark Cannon of the CHP told the Observer that when the call came in, a CHP aviation unit was sent to Round Valley, where the injured woman had been taken. A CHP helicopter transported the woman to Long Valley, a trip that took only about three minutes

Mount San Jacinto State Park is located above the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The tramway was used to transport the woman down from the mountain, where she was released at about 7 p.m.

"California State Parks would like to thank the CHP Aviation Unit for their assistance," said Friedman. "Without their help it would have taken the State Parks Rescue Team an additional three hours to carry the subject to the tramway."

Friedman said the woman's name was being withheld due to her having been medically treated by State Parks.

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