CORONA

Missing Hikers Found Near Corona

Two women missing in the hills south of Corona since heading out for a hike more than 24 hours ago were found safely Wednesday afternoon.

The best friends went hiking around 1 p.m. Tuesday, and one of their cars was found parked near a trailhead where they had gone hiking before.

Searchers looked for Amanda Sanchez, 22, from Murrieta, and Jasmine Jackson, 23, from Corona, overnight using bloodhounds and helicopters in a massive search effort, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Late in the afternoon, Amanda's dad, Peter Sanchez, set out with his brother to begin searching on their own.

On their way down the hill, the men said, their wishes came true when they found the women.

"I was wishing I could find them, you know. When you're up there looking for your daughter, you wish that you're the one that finds them, and I'm the one that found them," Sanchez said. "I feel great."

Sanchez's brother, Roy, described the moment as an emotional one.

"My brother just screamed and they screamed and I screamed and we hugged and it was like seeing a ghost," he said.

The women said they simply got lost on a hiking trail they had done before, and huddled together for warmth as temperatures dipped overnight.

"I'm super hungry and thirsty," Amanda Sanchez said. "It was super cold."

Ira Jackson, Jasmine's father, cried as he hugged his daughter after they were found, unable to speak through his tears.

Both women said they are thankful to be alive as they tearfully reunited with family members.

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