Watch: One of Two Lost Teen Hikers Is Rescued

Nicholas Cendoya was listed in stable condition Thursday morning after being rescued Wednesday night in Trabuco Canyon, where he and another teen had been lost since Easter Sunday. His companion, Kyndall Jack, 18, remained missing in the rugged wilderness of Cleveland National Forest.

Suffering confusion caused by dehydration, Cendoya, 19, still managed to shed some light on his ordeal.

"From what I gather, he has been trying to forage off the land," said Dr. Matthew Kaplan of Mission Hospital, who added Cendoya tried to find "any resource he could" for water.

Kaplan offered hope for Cendoya’s recovery: “He’s strong. He’s young. He’s a healthy young man and he's pulling through, and we are treating him as we can.”

Cendoya's cousin Patricia Sanchez waited with other family members at the Trabuco Canyon Fire Department. She said the family was "relieved. We just want to thank God. We're very happy."

Cendoya, of Costa Mesa, was airlifted by helicopter to Mission Hospital. Video showed him arriving shirtless, shoeless and without pants. Although he walked to a gurney, he did so with assistance.

He was initially listed in serious condition.

"He does have some serious injuries,” Kaplan said Thursday night. “He’ll be admitted with the trauma surgeons this evening. I think he’ll be in intensive care, and they’ll be continuing his care and treatment.”

Companion Still Missing

Jack, also from Costa Mesa, was not found, but a ground crew from the Orange County Fire Authority remained in the area.

Authorities hope Cendoya will help lead them to Jack as he becomes more alert.

“He's conscious, we've been able to talk to him,” said Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Jason Park. “We're assessing his medical condition and acquiring whatever information we can from him. ... He was dehydrated and very confused.”

Cendoya last saw Jack two days ago above a ridge near Holy Jim Falls, Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Jon Muir said. But her exact location is unknown at this time, he said.

"We won't know until [Cendoya] stabilizes," Muir said.

Park said Wednesday that authorities didn't know why Cendoya and Jack were separated but hope that once he gets some nutrients and fluids it will spur his memory.

A hiker tipped off OCFA's Crew 18 that Cendoya was nearby around 7:50 p.m. Wednesday. The 18-member crew is trained in search-and-rescue operations, particularly with heavy tools to cut through the 5-foot high brush, Muir said.

• See Cendoya's rescue location on the map attached to this story.

He said helicopters had trouble spotting Cendoya because of the brush. Cendoya was spotted half a mile below Holy Jim Falls, Muir said. A fire helicopter guided the crew through the thick brush to Cendoya's location and, at 8:56 p.m., they reached him.

Cendoya's family learned he had been air lifted to Mission Hospital shortly after 9. A loud cheer rang out from the Trabuco Canyon Fire Department where they were gathered.

"We spoke to Nicholas's mom and dad. You can imagine what they felt when we gave them that information," Park said. "We haven't spoken to Kyndall's family. We're in the process of extracting all that information."

Park said searchers will continue scouring the area near where Cendoya was found as they look for Jack, who was described as athletic and in good health. He said helicopters will fly "as long as conditions permit" -- a reference to the dense fog that has been shrouding the area.

Cendoya and Jack called authorities about 8:25 p.m. Sunday to say they were lost, said Gail Krause of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The two said they believed they were about a mile from their vehicle, Krause said.

Soon after they contacted authorities, the cell phone's battery wore down, Krause said.

Sheriff's Lt. Erin Giudice said authorities could not get an accurate GPS "ping" from the phone to pinpoint the hikers' location.

 - City News Service contributed to this report