Injured Hiker Airlifted to Safety After Canyon Lake Mishap

Canyon Lake, CA – A hiker who suffered an ankle injury while trekking across rugged terrain north of Canyon Lake was located by firefighters and transported to safety Wednesday.

The victim, whose name was not released, was backpacking in the area of Observation Hill, off of Richard Street and state Route 74, in the late evening hours Tuesday when he apparently suffered the lower leg injury, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The hiker did not immediately report being stranded, waiting until almost 4 Wednesday morning before calling 911.

Three engine crews and a truck company initially had trouble finding the man, traveling down several dirt roads, before finally spotting him after 5 a.m.

Paramedics treated the victim and assisted him in hiking to an open area, where he was retrieved about 7 a.m. by a medical helicopter and airlifted to an inland trauma center.

Why the hiker was attempting to trek after dark was not immediately known.

– By City News Service. Image via Shutterstock.