28-year-old hiker slips and plunges 30 feet at California waterfall, rescuers say
A 28-year-old hiker slipped and plunged 30 feet from a California waterfall, rescuers said.
Rescuers responded to the fall at about 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Tangerine Falls near Montecito, the Montecito Fire Protection District said in a Facebook post.
The man injured his hip in the fall and was airlifted from the area in a helicopter, rescuers said.
He was then taken to a hospital.
Now officials are warning about the dangers of hiking to this waterfall after recent rain.
The heavy rain that has hit Southern California has caused a “higher flow in the creek and stream channels create extreme fall risk on the wet surfaces,” rescuers said.
Rescuers themselves also face “a significant injury risk” while trying to reach an injured person.
Tangerine Falls is a 100-foot waterfall. The trek includes a 2.2-mile out-and-back hike with an elevation gain of 872 feet, according to AllTrails.
Although the hike is popular in the area, it’s also been deemed as challenging, the outdoor site said.
The first part of the hike runs along a creek, then takes hikers up boulders as the “trail turns into a moderate rock climb.”
Montecito is about 5 miles east of Santa Barbara.
This story was originally published February 12, 2024 at 1:58 PM with the headline "28-year-old hiker slips and plunges 30 feet at California waterfall, rescuers say."
