A 63-year-old man hiking the Pacific Crest Trail near Morongo Valley had to be rescued Wednesday. Timothy Pierson, of Stanwood, Washington, was hiking when he fell and cut his head on a rock. He initiated his SOS from a personal locator device, and sent a text message saying he was bleeding and needed assistance. The Sheriff’s Department received the call for help at 10:56 a.m. and sent a helicopter to the scene. Pierson was located at 12:21 and hoisted aboard the helicopter. He was flown to the Yucca Valley airport and then transported by ambulance to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs for non-life-threatening injuries.
Almost a year ago, on April 27, Daniel Zanini, a 72-year-old man hiking the Pacific Crest Trail south of Morongo Valley had to be rescued by a helicopter when he became dehydrated and lost consciousness. Another hiker found Zanini and activated his personal locator to summon help. Zanini was rescued by helicopter and flown to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs.
