Rescuers find missing hiker — and run into Jay Leno during California search. See it
A group of rescuers ran into an unexpected celebrity while searching for a missing hiker in a California national forest, officials said.
They eventually found the hiker after they had posed for a photo with former late night host Jay Leno.
“We found our missing person — and ran into Jay Leno along the way!” San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team said in an Aug. 19 post on Facebook.
The hiker, “a very fit, experienced, and prepared” man in his late 70s named Ki Soo Yang, set out with a group to summit Mt. Waterman on Saturday, Aug. 17, rescuers said. But members of his group realized when they got back to the parking lot that Yang wasn’t with them.
He was last seen on a trail close to the summit at 11:45 a.m. that day, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team said on Facebook.
His group reported him missing at 3 p.m., and rescuers hiked “practically everywhere” for almost 12 hours without any sign of Yang, San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team said.
The volunteer rescue group started early the next morning with a fresh crew of rescue personnel, including search dogs and other resources, rescuers said. After they completed the first assignment of the day, they stopped at Newcomb’s Ranch, “which just so happened to be where Jay and his friends rendezvoused for a drive,” the group said.
“Unfortunately, they hadn’t seen our missing hiker,” the group said. Leno posed for a photo with a small group of the volunteer rescuers.
Around 2 p.m. that day, a hiker who had read the missing person flyer for Yang at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s command post ran into Yang on the saddle between Waterman and Twin Peaks and notified authorities, the Montrose Search and Rescue Team said.
Rescue teams found Yang and airlifted him out of the forest and to a hospital, the groups said.
He was “in good health but dehydrated” after spending 30 hours in the Angeles National Forest without shelter, the groups said.
The groups emphasized the local hiker’s “critical role” in finding Yang.
“The vigilance and quick thinking of the Good Samaritan hiker in this case was vital for a successful outcome,” Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team said. “We advise all hikers to be prepared since you never know when you might be the first person on scene.”
The group reminded hikers that hiking essentials such as first aid supplies and extra snacks, water and layers of clothing can come in handy if they encounter a lost or injured person in the wilderness.
Mt. Waterman is about a 45-mile drive northeast from Los Angeles.
What to do if you get lost while hiking
If you think you’re getting lost, experts say it’s best to stop where you are and not panic. You should go over how you got to that point and if you’re able to see any landmarks around.
“Do not move at all until you have a specific reason to take a step,” officials with the U.S. Forest Service said.
You should come up with a plan but stay put unless you are “very, very confident in the route.”
There are steps hikers can take to avoid getting lost and be better prepared for the unexpected:
Have more than enough food and water with you.
Take a compass that you know how to use, or have a GPS device on hand.
Don’t rely solely on your cellphone. It probably won’t work because of a lack of signal or a depleted battery.
Study the terrain and your route, and you should know how you’ll return.
Have the right clothing. Sturdy hiking boots and layers can help you be prepared for rapidly changing weather.
Pack a blanket, flashlight and matches.
Check with a local ranger for special warnings. They can tell you about “fires in the area, bear sightings, flooding, trail or road closures.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2024 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Rescuers find missing hiker — and run into Jay Leno during California search. See it."
