Ailing Hiker Rescued From Panamints

Death Valley National Park (CA)
Ailing Hiker Rescued From Panamints

While the response to the above-noted bus accident was in progress, rangers were notified of a SAR in progress involving two young men who were attempting to hike from Badwater to Mount Whitney. The two men got as far as Hanaupah Canyon in the Panamint Range, and then decided to discontinue the hike. They’d gotten back to Shorty’s Well at the base of the eastern edge of the Panamints when one of the men began exhibiting signs of distress and couldn’t go any further. His companion hiked across the salt flat to their vehicle at the Badwater parking lot and drove to the bus accident scene and reported the incident to the rangers there. China Lake Naval Air Station’s SAR helicopter was dispatched. The crew found the man and transported him to the Furnace Creek Airport, where he was evaluated by a team of ranger-EMTs and was released. He appeared to be exhausted and suffering from minor dehydration, but was otherwise uninjured. Ranger Matt Martin was IC.