VIDEO: A 19-year-old hiker was rescued after activating a Garmin SOS device in the Bald Hills area near the Redwood Creek Trail, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
Dispatchers received the alert at 2:30 a.m. Jan. 3 through Cal OES, which relayed the satellite-based emergency signal and GPS location from Garmin’s International Emergency Response Coordination Center, the sheriff’s office said.
Humboldt County sheriff’s patrol deputies, the Special Service Unit, California State Parks and the sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, including a K-9 and a drone, conducted a coordinated ground search, the sheriff’s office said.
The hiker was found at 9:28 a.m., showing signs of hypothermia, and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The HCSO said the activation of the Garmin device was a critical factor in the rescue.
