Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies went hiking Sunday morning to search for a woman that was lost after hiking in the Placerita Canyon Nature Center area.
“I was hiking for three hours and was lost, so I called 911,” said hiker Amanda Glover.
Just after 9 a.m., Glover used her cellphone to call for help, according to Lt. Doug Mohrhoff of the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
Three deputies responded to the call, and upon realizing they were first on the scene, began searching for Glover.
After searching for about an hour, deputies located Glover uninjured and escorted her back to the nature center. Glover said she was very happy when she saw them.
Based on where Glover was found, Ranger Frank Hoffman, head ranger and recreation services supervisor, said she was definitely out of the Placerita Canyon State Park’s boundaries in an area mountain bikers call “viper,” and hikers call “the beast.”
“My advice to the young lady, as it is to everybody, is to never hike alone and don’t hike in territory which you’re unfamiliar,” Hoffman said. “There are a lot of natural things out there to be cautious of, (but) you never want to hike alone — that’s the bottom line really. If something happens, and you happen to trip and fall, no one is going to know where you’re at up there by yourself. You got to have somebody to back you up.”
Hoffman also suggests hikers make a plan and stick to it, be prepared by wearing the proper attire, bringing a fully charged phone, compass and extra food, as well as be aware of wildlife, your surroundings and weather conditions.
“Our No. 1 concern is public safety,” Hoffman said, adding that staying on designated trails and watching for trail markers is crucial, as there are often trails that are closed, like the Canyon Trail, which is the main trail from the nature center to the campgrounds, and the Waterfall Trail.
Though both trails have been closed since the Sand Fire in July 2016, Hoffman said they expect to open them later this year.
Signal Multimedia Journalist Gilbert Bernal contributed to this report.
