23-Year-Old Hiker Suffers Apparent Heat Exhaustion In Local Mountains

ANZA, CA — A 23-year-old hiker collapsed on a trail Thursday in the San Bernardino National Forest north of Anza, suffering apparent heat exhaustion and requiring firefighters to rescue him.

The "hiker down" call was received about 1:50 p.m. in the area of Thomas Road and the Ramona Trail, just west of Highway 74, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

The agency said that several engine crews from the county, as well as U.S. Forest Service rangers and a medic unit from the Idyllwild Fire Protection District, were sent to the location.

The first responders ultimately found the young man, whose identity was not disclosed, a half-mile from a trailhead, unable to walk out under his own power due to possible dehydration and other factors. He had momentarily lost consciousness after collapsing, according to reports from the scene.

Firefighters were able to place the victim on an ATV or other vehicle and transport him to an ambulance waiting at the Lake Hemet Campground, roughly a mile away.

There was an initial call for a Mercy Air ambulance, but that was cancelled.

Shortly before 3 p.m., the victim was taken via the highway to Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage for treatment.