Five kids and three adults were rescued with a makeshift zipline in the Tujunga Canyons area of the Angeles Forest after a storm trapped them between two river crossings Sunday night.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department’s Montrose Search and Rescue Team responded Sunday night at 8:40 p.m. after one of the hikers activated an emergency beacon.
“This rescue of 8 came at the perfect time, reminding us why we volunteer to do this,” a tweet from the rescue team said.
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The team was lowered from a truck down to the canyon bottom, near Big Tujunga Cyn Road and the La Paloma flat area.
They found the group trying to find a way out.
The children were 10-12 years old, the rescue team said.
After a deputy was able to secure a rope across the rushing waters, a volunteer with the rescue team was able to climb a tree and secure another anchor, creating a makeshift zipline.
All of the hikers were able to get across safely.
“After a few more river crossings, all were wet and cold but we were back safe at the rescue trucks,” the team said.
The rescue was completed by 3:30 a.m., with the cold, but safe hikers.
The rescue came as a storm drenched Ventura County overnight with heavy rain moving south Monday morning into the Los Angeles area.
The storm, fueled by a long plume of moisture over the Pacific Ocean, will deliver the heaviest rain Monday afternoon and into the evening. The wet weather follows last week's powerful winter storm that flooded some SoCal streets and freeways.
