Rescue extricates him off mountain
About 8 a.m. Thursday, April 4, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Hemet Station were dispatched to assist with a search and rescue operation on the Pacific Crest Trail.
A hiker, Steven Loeffler, 52, of Coronado, had slipped and fallen off the trail near Apache Peak, which is near the northern terminus of Apple Canyon Road.
Loeffler slid more than 100 feet down the mountainside, resulting in a compound fracture to his ankle.
The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, Riverside Sheriff’s Aviation Unit and the Riverside Sheriff’s Drone Team responded to the emergency. The Aviation Unit and RMRU were able to hoist him out of the area. Then Loeffler was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
