A hiker stranded roughly two miles from the trailhead inside Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve near San Jose was airlifted to safety late last week after reporting that a mountain lion was stalking him along the Boccardo Loop Trail. The hiker was not injured, but he was unable to safely continue on his own, and with only limited cell service in the area, he had to wait for rescuers to find him.
According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, its helicopter unit, STAR 1, assisted San Jose police in locating the stranded hiker before landing to bring him safely out of the preserve. The sheriff's office described the operation simply as an air rescue mission, noting the hiker had reported that a mountain lion was stalking him while he walked the loop trail. STAR 1 is a Eurocopter EC120B based out of Moffett Federal Airfield that regularly provides airborne search, rescue, and patrol support to agencies across the county, according to the
Gilroy Dispatch
A Remote Stretch of Steep, Shadeless Trail
The Boccardo Loop Trail is a three- to four-mile route through Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve known for steep climbs, exposed grasslands, and sweeping views of San Jose, and it was the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority's first public trail opened in the preserve, per the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. The 1,678-acre preserve sits in the eastern foothills of Santa Clara County and has been open to the public since 2002, managed by the Open Space Authority to protect natural habitats and the Penitencia Creek watershed, according to Kupi.com.
There are no on-trail water sources or restroom facilities anywhere in the preserve, and sections of the trail network have spotty cellular reception, conditions that help explain why the hiker needed an aerial extraction rather than walking out on his own. Open space officials advise hikers to bring water, travel in groups, and finish their hikes before the preserve closes for exactly these reasons, per trail guidance published by the Open Space Authority.
Mountain Lions Call the Preserve Home
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve provides habitat for native apex predators, including mountain lions and bobcats, along with sensitive species such as golden eagles, California red-legged frogs, and California tiger salamanders, according to Kupi.com. Trails through the preserve cut directly across those active wildlife corridors, putting hikers and big cats in occasional proximity.
Despite that overlap, verified physical attacks on humans by mountain lions remain extremely rare statewide. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has documented fewer than 25 verified nonfatal attacks across California since 1986 and just six fatal attacks since 1890. Santa Clara County has seen isolated incidents before, including a nonfatal attack on a 6-year-old boy in Cupertino in September 2014 and a nonfatal attack on a 6-year-old girl at Rancho San Antonio County Park in February 2020, both logged in state wildlife records.
What To Do If You Encounter One
State wildlife officials say anyone who encounters a mountain lion should never run, crouch, or turn away. Instead, the guidance calls for standing tall, raising your arms, making loud noises, and throwing items to appear larger while maintaining eye contact, since running can trigger the animal's instinct to chase.
Mountain lions are classified as specially protected mammals under Proposition 117, the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990, which bars sport hunting of the species and limits lethal removal to cases where an animal poses an imminent threat to public safety or property. It remains unclear whether wildlife biologists or preserve rangers independently confirmed a mountain lion's presence near the Boccardo Loop Trail following the rescue, or whether any temporary advisories or trail closures followed — an open question for further reporting.
The rescue is also a reminder that Sierra Vista's terrain can turn hazardous quickly even without wildlife involved: the preserve saw a wildfire break out in June, forcing Open Space Authority field staff to evacuate visitors and coordinate with local fire crews. STAR 1's role in the hiker's rescue echoes other recent Santa Clara County air support operations, including a precision helicopter rescue mission in the same general area in 2024.
