Deaf hiker rescued from Angeles National Forest
On Tuesday, crews used hand signals to rescue a deaf hiker who was stranded in the Angeles National Service for more than a day.
The 50-year-old man who was also described as having a diminished mental capacity was last seen Monday morning after getting separated from a group near Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains.
When Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy Joe Palomino got the call to help with the search he knew time was of the essence.
"It was very steep terrain, there was snow and ice," said Palomino. "Very loose hillside so a combination of the both probably led to the injuries he sustained and not being able to climb back up."
Members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team and other first responders hit the icy trails. Palomino said it was around midnight on Tuesday when a trained search and rescue tracking dog, 2-year-old Deputy Olive noticed some movement 500 feet off the trail.
"We sat and listened there for a little bit and we were able to hear him grunting," said Palomino. "He was unable to hear us so shouting his name as in typical operations was not going to work. Thank goodness he either saw our headlights or something happened where he was grunting."
Palomino said the man was clinging to a tree and another rescuer used hand gestures, trying their best to let the 50-year-old man they were there to get him to safety.
"Use kindness, use whatever communication you have," the deputy said. "I was talking to Mike afterward and Mike was doing a lot of hand signals like thumbs up, 'You're going to be OK.'"
Palomino credits the teamwork between all agencies involved for a rescue that could have had a much different ending.
"We're just very fortunate and he's very fortunate we found him," he said.
The victim was airlifted to a hospital for the injuries he suffered from falling down the trail. He's expected to be OK.
