One Hiker Dead, 4 Others Suffer Heat Exhaustion In Malibu Hills

MALIBU, CA — One hiker died and four others suffered heat exhaustion and dehydration among a group of hikers rescued Monday in the Malibu Hills, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The search and rescue team responded to the area in the Malibu Hills near Kanan Dume and Edison roads after the 911 came in at 2:10 p.m., county fire department Dispatch Supervisor Melanie Flores said.

The deceased hiker was a man in his 60s, according to media reports; his name was withheld pending family notificaion.

Emergency crews found a group of six or seven hikers who were following a path south of the Backbone trailhead, the Times reported. Three people needed medical attention but were able to walk and were aided by members of the Malibu Search and Rescue team, while one person was airlifted to a nearby hospital, the Times reported.

The sheriff's department said the hikers reported they had run out of water and were experiencing dehydration.

Flores said the 10 hikers had split off and gotten separated in the hills.

Sheriff's officials asked the public to avoid the area while the death investigation was underway. The rescues spanned over three hours and involved numerous agencies and two helicopters, Search and Rescue posted on its Facebook page.

City News Service contributed to this post