Indio Woman Calls for Help from Mountains Above Whitewater, Rescued

An Indio woman called for help Sunday evening from the mountains above Whitewater and search volunteers rescued her after dark, a sergeant at the Cabazon Station said.

The woman, 43, initially called her boyfriend and asked for help coming down, and deputies from Cabazon responded to a Pacific Crest trailhead in Whitewater before 8 p.m. Jan. 27, according to sheriff's Sgt. Richard Beatty.

A sheriff's helicopter crew responded and located the woman, but they could not do a night rescue, Beatty said. The helicopter crew told the woman to stay where she was until people on the ground could reach her.

Volunteers with the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit responded, located the woman and helped her return to her vehicle, Beatty said. She was cold but she was not injured.

"The Riverside County Sheriff's Department would like to remind hiking enthusiasts to carry proper equipment for any outdoor excursion," Beatty said.  "Proper preparedness includes a well thought-out travel plan shared with friends and family, as well as familiarity with common hiking equipment, such as G.P.S., maps and compasses."

The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit offers guidelines at www.rmru.org.

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