A hiker who got lost in Joshua Tree National Park Wednesday was found alive and well. Park spokesman George Land said Deno Ndilula, 31, of Namibia, and a friend started hiking from the southern end of the Boy Scout Trail about 8 a.m. Wednesday. The two became confused with the trail in the vicinity of the Willow Hole area and separated about 2 p.m. Ndilula’s companion made it to Key’s Ranch and used the emergency radio to call for help and park rangers were notified. Ndilula was able to call 911 on his cell phone about 5:50 p.m. Wednesday and searchers from the Joshua Tree National Park and Sheriff’s Department were able to pinpoint where the signal originated; however, due to the dwindling daylight, searchers were forced to call off the search until 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
Land said that mid-morning on Thursday, Ndilula found some campers who took him to a restaurant in Twentynine Palms to enjoy “his first meal in quite some time,” and where he talked to Sheriff’s deputies and park rangers. Assisting in the search for Deno Ndilula were the California Highway Patrol, the Sheriff’s search and rescue team, and the Joshua Tree National Park search and rescue crew.
