RIVERSIDE, California: A couple hiking in the desert south of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California and running out of water were picked up by a search and rescue helicopter last week.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, which posted a message the next day on social media, the man called 911. He reported that his girlfriend was suffering from dehydration and was weak.
The helicopter crew was dispatched, when temperatures reached triple digits, to the area known as Painted Canyon and found the couple huddled in a dry creek bed, the office said.
A video posted online by the Sheriff’s Office showed the helicopter hovering above the couple lying on the desert floor, with the man trying to shield her with his body from the blazing sun and wind. The man and woman were then hoisted into the helicopter one by one.
The couple was flown to a landing zone where an aeromedical helicopter rushed the woman to a hospital “due to her severe condition,” according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit’s Rescue 9 post, quoted by The Associated Press. The man was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, the sheriff’s office told SFGATE.
Southern California’s deserts are among the hottest areas in the state. On June 9, weather stations near the Painted Canyon area saw temperatures ranging from 100 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 to 40.6 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.
“Please remember, as the temps increase, take more water than you think you will need, have a hiking plan, and tell two people where you are going,” the Sheriff’s Department said.