Three hikers who became lost and disoriented in the rugged terrain of Limekiln State Park were hoisted to safety by a Navy helicopter after a satellite 911 call alerted rescuers to their location. One of the hikers experienced a medical emergency during the ordeal, though authorities have not released details on the group's conditions following the rescue.
The rescue unfolded after the Monterey County Sheriff's Office received a request for help from Big Sur Fire, according to CBS News. Authorities had received a satellite 911 call from the hikers at Limekiln State Park, prompting a scramble to reach them in the dark, overgrown backcountry of Big Sur's Central Coast.
Deputies requested help from Lasso 3, an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in Central California, per the same account. The aircraft ultimately hoisted the stranded hikers to safety, capping an operation that combined air support with a grueling ground effort.
Machetes and Chainsaws Cleared the Way
On the ground, a seven-member Monterey County Sheriff's Office search-and-rescue team hiked inbound for about an hour and a half to reach the group, cutting through overgrown trails with machetes and chainsaws along the way, the station's report notes. The team found the stranded hikers around 12:30 a.m. the following morning at Limekiln State Park, before hiking back out on foot once the rescue was complete.
The mission wrapped up around 4 a.m., according to the same account. Firefighters and ambulance personnel observed the rescued hikers once they were brought out, though deputies have not provided any update on their conditions since.
California State Parks lists Limekiln State Park as partially open, with all backcountry trails east of Highway 1 currently closed, according to a status check posted by California State Parks as of 3:09 p.m. Sept. 28, 2026.
A Pattern of Big Sur Rescues
This is not the first time crews have had to pull stranded people from Big Sur's steep and remote terrain. A California Highway Patrol helicopter rescued two climbers about a month earlier after they became stranded near Highway 1 at Hurricane Point, stuck on a steep chute roughly 600 feet below the road, per the CBS News report.
In response to the latest rescue, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office urged hikers to know their limits and prepare before heading out. The office advised hikers to use established trails, carry a GPS-enabled device or other reliable navigation method, hike with others whenever possible, and tell a family member or friend where they are going and when they expect to return.
