A 19-year-old male hiker was rescued by Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) air operations after sustaining an arm injury while cycling in a remote area of Tujunga on Tuesday. In a daring midday operation, detailed by the LAFD, the injured young man found himself stranded and in need of emergency medical attention.
According to the official LAFD alert, the incident, which has been identified as "INC#0784," occurred at around 12:36 PM near Haines Canyon Ave. Ground crews faced a challenge due to the inaccessibility of the patient's location, finding it impossible to employ land vehicles for the rescue.
The LAFD utilized a helicopter fitted with a hoist to extract the cyclist from the difficult terrain. "A rescuer was lowered down to the patient to assess, treat, and prepare the patient for a hoist," the department's statement describes the operation. "LAFD Air Operations hoisted and transported the patient by air to a local hospital," it adds, underscoring the coordinated effort of the emergency responders.
The department credited multiple teams for their role in the rescue, including Battalion 12, Fire Station 74, and Air Operations pilots and personnel. The LAFD statement conveyed by the LAFD official website provided a full list of the responding units: "BC12 E24 E274 H4 H7 HA4 HA7 PB74 RA77 RA874 RH114 T74," and indicated that there was nothing further to report on the situation.
The successful operation highlights the LAFD's capabilities in responding to emergencies, even in the most challenging of Los Angeles' diverse landscapes. The young hiker's current condition following the rescue has not yet been disclosed.
