By Patric Hedlund

Autumn’s moody weather blew a cold snap through the Mountain Communities last week. There was snowfall at 6,000 feet. The peaks of Mount Pinos and Frazier Mountain were dazzling white and sparkling to look at from a distance, but the freezing weather meant lost sleep for the volunteers of the Southern Kern Search and Rescue team whose task is to go find those who are lost in the mountains in such conditions.

Mike Parker (who has been with Frazier Park’s search and rescue team for 32 years) knew that temperatures in the mountains were at life-threatening lows when he was called on a nearly moonless Thursday, Oct. 11 for three young hikers lost in rugged forest on Tecuya Ridge in Cuddy Valley. On Saturday night local searchers were sent into the mountains again when a hunter with diabetes was reported to be lost, resulting in a 20-hour search along the northern ridges of the San Emigdio Mountains. Here are the details.

Search for teens on Tecuya

Local teenagers Benjamin Alexander, 19, David Brunelle, 18 and Robert Wakeling, 19, headed out for a hike to Tecuya Ridge Thursday afternoon. As it got dark and colder, the youths realized they had become disoriented after leaving Scott Russell Trail.

Alexander was able to find a cell phone signal. He called a relative, who contacted the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, which called for Mountain Community volunteer searchers. Parker said he was able to text the young man that “help is on the way.”

By 10:30 p.m. the search team had their equipment assembled, along with a Ventura County helicopter.

The helicopter crew located the lost hikers about a mile from the trail. They prepared to hoist the young men into their craft, but a low, wet fog cover drifted in, preventing them from being able to remove the hikers safely. The ground team from Frazier Park took over.

They used their ATVs to make it to the lost hikers by about 2:30 a.m. On the way in, one of the older ATVs tumbled down a grade when a trail gave way, but the driver was uninjured and the youths were brought to safety.

“These boys were wet when we got to them,” Parker said, adding that it was 38 degrees at Scott Russell Road, but none of them suffered injuries from the incident. A worried parent of one of the teens said “What can I do?” Parker recalls he laughed, saying “They were just being kids. What better to do with their time? They did everything right; I have nothing but good to say about this; it is much better for these young men to be spending their time out in the mountains than at home playing video games.”

Frank Heilman added, “Tell them to join the Southern Kern Search and Rescue Team!” Parker agreed. “We need young people to help—all ages and genders are welcomed. Our team is like our family.” Frazier Park’s team that night included Parker, Heilman, Steve Packard, Jay Nichols, Mike Katkov, David Wolf, Doug Wilde and Cody Salyards.

On Friday afternoon some of the group returned to Tecuya Ridge to hoist the older ATV back up the grade where it had fallen and lodged into a tree.

Hunter lost on Brush Mountain

The next day, on Saturday, Oct. 13, two men from Los Angeles were hunting on Brush Mountain when they decided to separate and meet back at their campsite at noon.

But Rudy Chacon, 40 of Los Angeles missed his rendezvous with his hunting buddy.

At 9 p.m. William Jones called the Kern County Sheriff’s Office to report his friend was missing. There was added concern because Chacon was said to be diabetic. The Southern Kern Search and Rescue Team (Frazier Park) responded to the location and began searching for Chacon. The area where he was believed to be lost is extremely remote with rugged terrain.

A pair of new all-terrain vehicles gifted to the team last month by the board of the South West Health Care District (SWHCD)— for which we all pay taxes—were put to use.

As the search continued into Sunday, mounted searchers joined to sweep the hillsides from Wind Wolves Preserve up toward the Brush Mountain ridges.

Reinforcements from Bakersfield including John Karwoski, Ann Black and Howie Long trucked up from the Tehachapi Mountain Rescue Unit to relieve the local team. At about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday it was confirmed that Chacon had been located, unharmed.

Local search and rescue team members Katkov, Heilman, Packard, Wilde, Nichols and Parker had participated.

Mike Parker said he was on his way home to get some well-earned sleep.

He also said he wished to publicly thank SWHCD for the ATVs and two automated external defibrillators (AEDs, for use with heart attack victims).

To join the Southern Kern Search and Rescue Team, sign up with KCSO volunteer services at (661-391-7659) or stop at Alpine Lumber to speak with Parker.

This is part of the October 19, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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