The mother of one of two teenage hikers rescued after being trapped for days in a historic blizzard that brought several feet of snow to the mountains of Southern California thanked search team members on Monday and rescue in a heartfelt statement.
Tina White said she was grateful, proud and relieved after the dramatic rescue, made possible when a helicopter crew followed the teenagers’ footprints in the snow in the San Bernardino County mountains to the east from Los Angeles.
Non-novice hikers were on a 10-day hike in the mountains when a rare blizzard warning was issued, in which back-to-back atmospheric river-fed storms over the Pacific triggered days of snow and piled up 5 feet of snow high in the area where they were.
“I wish I could hug everyone, but thank you so much and so much love for search and rescue, for putting your life on the line and making sure our children come home safe,” said White in a statement shared with Telemundo 52.
“I know that’s what they’re trained for, but that doesn’t change the fact that they do very dangerous work and don’t always have a great result. There just aren’t enough words. to express my gratitude that thanks for them, the boys have gone home.” White added.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Scalise told The Associated Press that 17-year-old boys Riley Ramirez, of Cypress, and Cole White, of Portland, were mildly hypothermic and lucky to be alive . They huddled together for three nights to keep warm, authorities said.
The children were dropped off Feb. 26 near a trail in Whitewater. They planned to hike the Pacific Crest Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain, Southern California’s highest peak, but lost contact with their families two days later.
César Ramírez, father of the other rescued hiker, said the children had food in their backpacks, a tent and snowshoes. They have also received extensive training and aspire to join the armed forces, he said.
Ramirez said he lost contact through a tracking app and called the sheriff’s department.
A helicopter team responded to their last known location on Friday and followed the footprints near a remote section of the Pacific Crest Trail along Mission Creek. The helicopter crew landed in deep snow to reach the hikers.
When they were rescued, Ramírez said his son’s jacket was blown away by powerful gusts of wind that swept across the mountains. The children’s tent was also smashed, he said.
“They told us, ‘We were already convinced that we were going to die,'” Ramírez, of Cypress, Calif., told the AP.
Scalise said hikers were well prepared for the hike, but not for the historic snowfall. They encountered 4-5 feet of snow with blizzards and limited visibility.
“I was very reassured knowing that the guys were well equipped, well prepared and in good company,” White said. “I would also like to say that I am very proud of them for going on the trip and doing everything possible to prepare. I know for myself that Cole spent months making preparations. My living room was covered in He was constantly calculating and running to the store for more rations or whatever.
“It was incredibly unfortunate that they had an unexpected time the way it happened. If any of us had thought it would have been this extreme, we would have changed our plans,” White added.
Days of snowfall, up to 10 feet in some places, left many mountain dwellers stranded in their homes. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in 13 counties, including San Bernardino County, where crews are still trying to reopen roads blocked by snow.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station NBCLA. Click here to read this story in English.