High School Students Survive Chilly Night on Mount Baldy Before They're Rescued

With her mother by her side, 15-year-old Andrea Jauregui is now safe after a long sleepless night stranded on Mount Baldy.

She was one of two students unaccounted for overnight.

"I'm just exhausted," she said. "We yelled, tried to do flashlight, but we were at 10% so it died and then we had no communication. We kept yelling, but nothing."

Ground crews searched for her and 16-year-old Andres Juarez throughout the night, finally rescuing them Tuesday morning.

"It was a really cold night," he said. "It was summer. I didn’t expect it to be that cold."

Robert Gattas, of the West Valley Search and Rescue Team, said they were lucky.

"It could have been very dangerous," he said. "We had a successful outcome today."

San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials say a group of 51 students on the soccer and lacrosse teams from Downey High School, along with two coaches and a teacher went on a hike Monday and broke into several groups.

During the hike, a large group of students walked back to their cars and left, but at about 7 p.m., one of the remaining hikers called for help. Search and rescue teams hoisted 10 student athletes and three adults off of the mountain Monday night.

Jauregui said she and Juarez had gotten separated from the rest of the group during their hike.

"I had gotten hurt so I stayed back," Jauregui said. "I was by myself so he stayed with me and all of a sudden we tried to go up the mountain and we saw no one."

Worried family members were upset.

The Downey Unified School District says the coaches involved remained on scene overnight.

"We’re going to go ahead review the situation and take steps accordingly as for the affected families," said Robert Jagielski, the senior director of the Downey Unified School District.

Mom Ana Jauregui is relieved.

"It's a bad sensation," she said. "I'm just very happy to see her."