Rescuers airlifted a man out of a San Gabriel Mountains hiking area Monday about nine hours after he called authorities to report that he was lost in the mountains east of Los Angeles.
The missing hiker's vehicle was found near the Cobb Estate trailhead, near East Loma Alta Drive and Lake Avenue in Altadena. The man began a hike from the trailhead at about 3 p.m. Sunday, but called the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at about 7 p.m. to report that he was lost.
Crews narrowed the search area early Monday and are attempting to rescue the man, who was visiting Southern California from Alaska. The hiker traveled about nine miles from the trailhead before going off the trail and getting trapped in a "rocky outcropping."
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"Darkness overcame him and he was unable to continue," said Capt. Richard Deleon, of the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team. "He's in a stable spot, but he's unable to get himself out.
"He wanted to see some of our local scenery and got a lot more than he bargained for."
A helicopter crew lowered a team member to the rocks to conduct a rescue airlift. The hiker was not injured and aerial video showed him walking from the helicopter after it landed at nearby Farnsworth Park.
