Missing 73-year-old hiker found alive by Los Angeles rescue teams
A 73-year-old hiker missing in the Los Angeles area was found by rescuers on Saturday — one week after disappearing. Montrose Search and Rescue teams announced in a tweet that Eugene Jo was discovered alive near La Crescenta.
Jo was hiking with a group but became separated from them a week ago. He was found "in the wilderness" the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department wrote in a tweet. Jo and his friends were hiking a 6-mile route on Mt. Waterman, according to CBS Los Angeles.
GREAT NEWS! 73 y/o #MISSING HIKER HAS BEEN FOUND ALIVE AFTER 1 WK IN THE WILDERNESS @SEBLASD #Air5 transport to local hosp #FTF Awesome job #SAR #Montrose #Altadena #SierraMadre @contracosta @CoCoSheriff @FresnoSheriff @KernCoSheriff @sbcountysheriff @SDSheriff @VENTURASHERIFF https://t.co/zqdPA4JeUQ
— LA County Sheriff's (@LASDHQ) June 29, 2019
The search was led by LASD, but agencies from the Antelope and San Gabriel valleys were also tapped to help, CBS Los Angeles reported.
"They had about 11 different search teams with about 75 searchers looking in the Angeles National Forest for Mr. Jo," said LASD Lt. Jaqueline Sanchez according to CBS Los Angeles.
The Special Enforcement Bureau confirmed "the hiker was airlifted to [a] hospital."
BREAKING: Search team reports they have found 73 year old Mr Jo, after a week in the wilderness, he is alive! #LASD Air Rescue 5 inserted SEB Tactical Medics into Devils Canyon, ANF and hoisted him into the aircraft. Hiker was airlifted to hospital. @LASDHQ @CVLASD @LasdSar pic.twitter.com/HIONFiOtIg
— SEB (@SEBLASD) June 29, 2019
"They just kept searching the different areas, they had some of the hikers go back and showed them the ground they covered and they found him today in Devil's Canyon, a few miles away from where they'd been hiking," said Sanchez.