Key Takeaways:

• Two hikers fell 800 feet down Tahquitz Peak in Riverside County, California.
• The hikers were stranded for three days, enduring extreme weather conditions.
• Rescue efforts involved helicopters and ground teams but faced significant challenges.
• Both hikers sustained serious injuries but were ultimately rescued.

Two hikers stranded for three days after plummeting 800 feet down a snowy mountainside have been successfully rescued near Idyllwild, California. The dramatic incident began on March 1, when Veda Lin and Christopher Ng were hiking on the Tahquitz Mountain trail and fell down the cliff, calling for help shortly after the fall, as both suffered severe injuries.

Initially, rescue attempts were thwarted by fierce 45 mph winds and low cloud cover, which made aerial rescues impossible. Despite multiple efforts from the Riverside County Sheriff's Aviation Unit, as well as helicopters from Cal Fire and the Orange County Fire Authority, conditions continued to hinder progress, according to officials.

While volunteers from the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit located the hikers on the first night, attempts to extract them again met with failure due to severe weather conditions. “We huddled under a tree, hoping for warmth during freezing temperatures that dropped to 15 degrees Fahrenheit,” Lin recounted. They were left stranded for two nights before favorable weather conditions finally allowed for a successful rescue on Monday morning.

The pair expressed disbelief at their survival after suffering from the harsh elements and not realizing the extent of their fall until later. Ng suffered a fractured leg and frostbite, while Lin sustained multiple fractures and other injuries. “Considering how everything went, the fact that we don’t have any permanent injuries is amazing,” Lin stated as she recovered at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

The rescue operation involved over 20 mountain rescue team members, who praised the collaboration of all involved. Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco emphasized the teamwork in a social media post, thanking everyone who participated in this coordinated rescue effort. “This was a very long, and coordinated effort with amazing partners and volunteers. Outstanding job by all!” he wrote.

Footage from the rescue operation captured the precarious conditions rescuers faced, illustrating the difficult climate along with the challenges posed by high winds during the effort. Lin and Ng also expressed their gratitude towards their rescuers, declaring them heroes in a time when they needed it most.