Firefighters rescued a traumatically injured hiker from a remote area in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park this morning.
A 51-year-old hiker is being treated at the Mission Hospital Trauma Center in Mission Viejo today after the Orange County Fire Authority had to airlift him out of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park just off of the Laguna Ridge Trail at 10:22 a.m. this morning.
“This was a very challenging emergency incident, but the coordination between all of the emergency personnel was exceptional,” Laguna Beach Fire Department Division Chief Dan Stefano, said in an email. “The firefighters performed remarkably well on this rescue.”
Laguna Beach firefighters made their way into about a half-mile of remote wilderness to locate the injured hiker, according to the Laguna Beach Fire Department. Laguna Beach Fire Captain Eric Lether, Engineer Alex Pacheco, Firefighter Danny Kalscheuer, and Engineer Knox Tiernan were able to reach and treat the injured hiker, who was designated with a trauma status due to the nature of his medical needs and the extent of his injuries. The hiker was too seriously injured to be carried out.
Authorities were not able to identify the exact nature of the man’s injuries. According to the Laguna Beach Fire Department, “A friend who was hiking with the victim was not certain what caused the medical emergency, but indicated they had hiked quite a distance and had made efforts to remain sufficiently hydrated.”
