On Friday evening, Dec. 5, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Cabazon Station responded to the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in the Mt. San Jacinto State Park and State Wilderness, after receiving a call of two lost hikers.
The hikers stated they were lost after hiking around the trails at the top of the Tramway. The hikers were identified as Angelica Limon, 25, of Salinas, and Juan Mendez, 37 of North Hollywood.
The Sheriff’s Department, its Aviation unit, Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit members, State Park rangers and employees from the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway responded to search for the lost hikers.
At about 7 p.m., the helicopter spotted the hikers about three quarters of a mile above the Tramway. Due to the weather conditions, they were unable to airlift the hikers .
RMRU and State Park rangers responded and made contact about 11 p.m. with the hikers to escort them to safety. The hikers and rescue units made it back to the top of the Tramway shortly after midnight where they spent the night until Tram operations resumed Saturday morning.
The hikers were found in good health and no medical treatment was needed.