On Saturday,  at 11:40 a.m., 5 Glendale Fire Department resources (1 Battalion Chief command team, 2 Engine companies, 1 Truck company, 1 Urban Search and Rescue company, and 1 Basic Life Support ambulance) responded to a mountain rescue at Brand Park in the city of Glendale.

Units arrived on scene and began a two-hour hike through steep terrain and heavy brush to locate the lost hiker. During the hike, crews communicated with the hiker via cell phone, utilizing GPS coordinates and screenshot photos from the hiker to identify her exact location. The hiker was found in an extremely steep and dangerous area in which a ground rescue operation would take a significant amount of time along with the use of a rope system. The high temperatures and dangerous terrain required the use of an air rescue. Los Angeles County Sheriff Department “Air 5” conducted the air rescue by hoisting the lost hiker to safety.

Glendale Fire Department paramedics assessed the patient twice during the rescue: when the patient was located and after the patient was airlifted to safety. Glendale firefighters were on scene for 4 hours and 16 minutes.

The Glendale Fire Department would like to remind residents to not hike alone, stay on the designated trails, bring a fully charged cell phone and plenty of water.