An elderly hiker was in a dire situation on the Steep Ravine Trail yesterday. Due to the swift response from the CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operations and local firefighters, he lived to hike another day. The CHP reported that their H-30 helicopter was dispatched to the scene after receiving the call of a hiker in distress located just below Highway 1. The individual was an elderly man who had been overtaken by exhaustion and could not complete his ascent of the trail.
The CHP's chopper, working closely with the Marin County Fire Department, executed what is known in rescue parlance as a 'hover op.' During this maneuver, the helicopter hovers close to the ground or an object, such as the immobile hiker, allowing rescue personnel to perform the extraction safely. According to the CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operation's social media post, the hiker was loaded into an H-30 and transported to a landing zone on Highway 1, where paramedics evaluated him.
The paramedics found that the hiker sustained no injuries during his unintended adventure.
