A man hiking on a trail west of Lake Elsinore in the Cleveland National Forest suffered injuries Monday that left him unable to go farther, requiring fire crews to mount a rescue.
The “hiker down” call was received at 8:35 a.m. Monday in the area of South Main Divide Road and the Ortega (74) Highway, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said the victim, whose identity was not released, called 911 seeking help after he suffered an unspecified minor injury to the lower extremities.
Firefighters went into the forest to find the trekker and coordinated with a sheriff’s helicopter crew to perform a hoist rescue, which took place shortly after 10 a.m.
The victim was airlifted to a makeshift landing zone and from there taken to nearby Inland Valley Medical Center for treatment.
No other details were available regarding the incident.