A distress call from Cold Canyon Trail near Lake Berryessa brought emergency services into action, resulting in the aerial rescue of seven hikers yesterday. As confirmed by a post from the Vacaville Fire Protection District, a 21-year-old woman suffered severe heatstroke and was discovered unconscious by rescue teams. She was promptly airlifted to a hospital, listed in serious condition, and receiving Code 3 transportation, which indicates a life-threatening emergency.
The victim was part of a larger group of 45 U.S. Air Force personnel who were overtaken by the heat. While the rest of the hikers did not require hospitalization, six others were also airlifted from the scene with heat-related symptoms, in an operation carried out by CHP H30 helicopter. Division Chief Phil Jones told KCRA, "That person was in serious condition and was actually transported to the hospital. Code three." Jones also noted the frequent distress calls from the hiking area, mentioning that they had responded to heat emergencies nearly every week during the summer months, with a fatal outcome in the recent past.
According to the Vacaville Fire Protection District, rescues on the trail can turn into grueling endeavors for their teams when helicopter resources are not readily available. "If we don't have helicopters involved, we basically hike our crews up. We pack them up with a bunch of water and their gear, and they hike up with all the stuff to be able to pull them out. And we've had hikes and rescues that have taken 4 hours just to get the people off the hill," said Jones via KCRA. In light of these incidents, the district has emphasized the importance of heat safety, underscoring steps such as staying hydrated, resting in shade, and avoiding midday hikes. Also, the district is scheduled to release a Heat Safety Public Service Announcement tomorrow, as their social media post indicates.
