Rescue crews worked after dark Sunday to help hikers and an off-roader in separate incidents:

>>> Tony Diffenbaugh 2/17/2008 9:48 PM >>>
     Rescue crews from the Kern County Fire Department, Kern County
Sheriff and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have been busy this
evening performing two separate air and ground rescues in remote
locations of northeastern Kern County. 

The first rescue was in a rugged canyon near Nicholls Peak in the Kelso
Valley area southeast of Lake Isabella.  While hiking with three
friends, a 43 year old Bakersfield woman fell and injured her ankle.
The fire department received the call at 6:06 p.m. and responded ground
units from Lake Isabella and Helicopter 408 from Keene.  With
information received by phone from the one of the hikers, including
Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates and a description of the
location of the patient, Helicopter 408 proceeded to the area.  Using
night vision goggles, the helicopter crew spotted the hiker’s
headlamps from about four miles out.  After circling the group and
evaluating the scene, Firefighter Ryan Fox was lowered from the hovering
helicopter by a hoist cable to affect the rescue.  After the patient was
stabilized and secured in a rescue harness, Firefighter Fox and the
patient were hoisted into the helicopter and flown to an awaiting
ambulance.  After transfer to the ambulance the woman was taken to Kern
Valley hospital for treatment.  The remaining hikers safely walked out
of the area. 

A combination of good safety preparations by the hikers and the
specialized rescue skills and equipment used by the fire department
helicopter crew contributed to a positive conclusion to this incident.


     The second incident, located in the El Paso Mountains northwest of
Garlock Road and east of Highway 14, involved a man who became separated
from his group after his off road vehicle was disabled.  Darkness,
rugged Jeep trails and the vague description of the man’s location
made it difficult for rescuers to find him.  After about two hours of
searching Kern County Fire Captain John King from the Randsburg Station
made cell phone contact with the man and was able to direct Air-1, the
Sheriffs Department helicopter, to the area.  After locating the man the
crew of Air-1 directed BLM Rangers to his location.  The man was found
tired and thirsty but had no apparent injuries.  The BLM rangers
reunited the man with his group.

Effective inter-agency coordination of these incidents was key to the
successful outcome.