At approximately 6:30 p.m., Monday, November 23, 2015, the Lake Havasu City Fire Department (LHCFD) responded to a report of a missing hiker/jogger in distress off the “Yellow Trail/White Trail” below S.A.R.A. Park. The local woman was running/hiking the trails with her daughter when they became separated just before dark. The daughter searched the area before running out to the trailhead and called 911. The mother was found after an extensive search off the trails in a remote area. She reportedly jumped down an embankment with a drop of approximately 15’ injuring her ankle and was not able to walk out. She did have her cell phone with her and officials were able to track her GPS coordinates to find her.

LHCFD Rescue 3 and Rescue 4 (desert rescue units, members of Ladder Truck 1, a Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter, and a Battalion Chief responded. Rescue crews consisted of six members of the LHCFD Technical Rescue team. Once the rescuers located and stabilized the hiker they used ropes and a harness to lower her to a safe landing area for the helicopter. The patient was assessed, treated and transported to the Havasu Regional Medical Center in the DPS helicopter. Two members of the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team also responded and assisted in the command post. The entire incident took over four hours.

The Fire Department would like to remind hikers to be careful not to under estimate the distance they are hiking and the extreme desert temperatures both hot and cold in this area.