Hiking group trapped between rising rivers rescued by makeshift zipline, CA officials say

Five children and three adults were rescued after they got trapped between two rising river crossings while hiking in California, rescuers said.

Three adults and five Boy Scouts were crossing the Angeles National Forest on Jan. 8, according to FOX 11.

Due to the state’s latest storm, the hikers got “trapped between two rising river crossings,” according to a news release on Twitter by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Montrose Search and Rescue Team.

California has experienced intense storms bringing high wings and heavy rain. The storms have flooded streets, downed trees, forced evacuations and cut power to tens of thousands of people in recent days.

When one of the adult hikers sensed the group was at risk, he activated his emergency beacon, rescuers said. Authorities were dispatched to Big Tujunga Canyon near Stoneyvale Campground, according to FOX 11.

Officials with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department were “lowered ... 700 feet down to the canyon bottom, where they found the group looking for a way out,” the rescue team said.

Reserve Deputy Mike Leum tied one of the ends of the rope to a tree while a volunteer climbed a tree to secure the other end, according to the news release.

Rescuers were able to get the children across with a makeshift zipline created with one end of the rope being higher, officials said. The adults made it across by using the rope as a safety line.

Rescuers said although the hikers were cold and wet, they made it back safely to the rescue trucks.

At about 3:30 a.m., the rescue mission was complete, officials said.

This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 8:07 AM with the headline "Hiking group trapped between rising rivers rescued by makeshift zipline, CA officials say."