Off-Road Thanksgiving Weekend Mishaps Kept Firefighters Busy In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — It was a busy off-road Thanksgiving weekend for firefighters in Riverside County.

Four people were rescued by crews from remote trail areas in three separate incidents.

The most recent was reported at around 1:21 p.m. Sunday on Indian Truck Trail in the unincorporated area south of Temescal Valley, just north of Lake Elsinore.

The incident involved a two-motorcycle collision, with one rider suffering moderate injuries and requiring hospitalization, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

On Saturday, crews also had to rescue two hikers, one of whom was injured, at the Lake Fulmor day-use area near Banning.

According to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, the call for help came in at 2:41 p.m., and the mishap occurred in an inaccessible area, about 200 feet along the trailhead.

The area is not far from state Route 243, the scenic two-lane state highway known as the Banning-Idyllwild Panoramic Highway and the Esperanza Firefighters Memorial Highway. The highway was designated with the latter name in honor of the five U.S. Forest Service firefighters who died battling 2006's Esperanza Fire.

Saturday's remote rescue was successful, and the fire department reported the hiker's injuries as "minor."

The Lake Fulmor remote-area rescue was the second on Saturday.

At approximately 12:40 p.m., an off-roader crashed in the mountain trails above Soboba and had to be rescued by firefighters.

The solo rider was on an all-terrain vehicle when the mishap occurred, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

Due to the remote location, the Rescue9 helicopter belonging to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department was summoned.

The rider, who suffered moderate injuries in the crash, was successfully hoisted into the chopper and flown to a designated landing zone, then transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.