A hiker who suffered an unknown injury Monday while trekking along a park trail south of Hemet was hoisted to safety by a sheriff’s helicopter crew and taken to a hospital for treatment.
The “hiker down” call was received about 11:30 a.m. in Simpson Park, near Rawlings Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The victim, whose name was not disclosed, called 911 after suffering an unspecified “medical emergency,” leaving the party unable to return to the trailhead, fire officials said.
Several engine crews were sent to the location, and fire officials requested assistance from a sheriff’s STAR-9 helicopter crew in the area.
Firefighters hiked roughly a quarter-mile down the trail from Rawlings Road and located the hiker, who was picked up about noon by the sheriff’s helicopter crew and transported back to the trailhead, where an ambulance was waiting, according to reports from the scene.
The victim was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment.