The helicopter used in the search and rescue effort to try locating the female hiker who went missing on Wednesday, Sept. 11. photo by melissa diaz hernandez

Shortly before 8 p.m. Friday night, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department released the following information on the missing female hiker the Town Crier reported online earlier in the day: “On Wednesday, Sept. 11, six hikers reported seeing a female hiker in distress in the area of the Pacific Crest Trail and South Ridge Trail. The distressed hiker yelled from across the ridge that she had fallen, was hurt, and needed assistance. For the following two days, search and rescue crews searched the extremely rugged and remote terrain and were unable to locate any signs of a female hiker.
“If this was you and you self-rescued, or were in the area and assisted a hiker matching this description, please contact the sheriff’s department and let us know you are okay.”
After the initial story on the incident “Search for female hiker,” the Town Crier followed up with the sheriff’s department consistently throughout the day, but received very little information. The department’s helicopter was utilized in the search and rescue effort. The newspaper tried to obtain a location of where the hiker had reportedly gone missing, but was told by the sheriff’s department that they were not sure. The only definitive information the Town Crier was able to obtain was that the department received the information second-hand and that the initial report was made to the Tahquitz Peak Fire Outlook.