Hiker Missing For 12 Hours Rescued By SMC Volunteers

LOMA MAR, CA — A group of volunteers navigated dark skies and frigid temperatures over the weekend to find a hiker who had been missing for nearly 12 hours near Pescadero Creek.

According to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the woman was traveling with friends and left on a solo hike around 4 p.m. Saturday, somewhere along Old Haul Road in Loma Mar.

Shortly after dark, when the woman had still not returned from the hike, the group became worried and went out to search the area, officials said. When they could not find her, they contacted the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies started an initial search as nightfall set in and temperatures dropped, utilizing a drone and a helicopter from the California Highway Patrol. When those efforts proved unfruitful, the sheriff's office called in the Emergency Services Bureau, comprised of volunteer units that are trained in search and rescue protocols.

Approximately 25 volunteers worked through the night, calling out the woman's name, and finally heard a reply around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. The volunteers discovered the woman was stranded 500 yards down a steep hill next to Pescadero Creek.

The team worked over the next hour to get down the hill and bring the woman to safety, then took her to the command post for a medical evaluation. AMR medics determined she was very cold but uninjured and reunited the woman with her worried friends.

"I applaud our dedicated volunteers for finding the missing hiker under extremely [challenging] conditions," Sheriff Christina Corpus said in a statement. "Their efforts saved this woman's life. This is one of several missing hikers who have been rescued by our sheriff's deputies and volunteers over the last few months. It is so important to remember the dangers of hiking, especially at night and in unfamiliar areas."