4 hikers fall down treacherous California 'ice chute' in a week

Andrew Chamings Dec. 23, 2021

Andrew ChamingsDec. 23, 2021

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Air Rescue 307
San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department

Earlier this week we reported on a frightening accident on Mount Baldy in the Cucamonga Wilderness that resulted in a hiker being airlifted out after sliding 900 feet down a frozen "ice chute."

That hiker, Jeaffreson Guevara, is happily recovering without life-threatening injuries, but it's now been revealed that three other men met a similar fate in just one week.

In a fortuitous turn of events, one hiker who fell from the notorious Icehouse Saddle trail this week was able to call for help when he found a cell phone belonging to another hiker who fell 5 days earlier.

Matthew Jaurequi and a friend were hiking the trail on Tuesday when they encountered a thick patch of ice, the sheriff's department said in a statement: "Jaurequi lost his footing and began to slide. Jaurequi's friend attempted to grab Jaurequi and they both slid approximately 150 feet down the mountain." After a "precipitous descent" stopped by holding onto a tree, the hikers realized they had lost their phones. They had no way to call for help until they found a phone in the snow nearby that was at 1% battery life, reports the LA Times.

After making a 911 call, Jaurequi was airlifted to safety while his friend hiked out, the statement says.

The phone belonged to Nicholas Ardoin, a hiker who was airlifted from the mountain by the busy Fontana Station rescue crew on Dec. 16.

"The ground was icy, hard packed and the rescuer had to set up anchors to proceed with the rescue operation," the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Aviation said in a statement on the Ardoin incident. "Once secured, the rescuer and hoist operator worked together to get Nicholas out from underneath the trees and hoisted him to the helicopter, all while the pilot kept the helicopter in a hover for an extended amount of time."

Footage of that rescue (soundtracked with Greta Van Fleet's "Safari Song,") was shared on Instagram by the department.

The fourth hiker to need rescuing from Mount Baldy over the seven-day period was identified as Patrick Murphy by the sheriff's department. Murphy slid 100 feet down the icy mountainside on Dec. 18 and was hoisted out from a height of 145 feet by air medic Tom Gallant.

"The trail turns into a little ice chute," Doug Brimmer, a deputy pilot with the sheriff's department who helped with the rescues, told the LA Times. "So you're walking on the trail one minute. Next minute, you're sliding down the mountain."

"The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department would like to remind the public about the dangers of hiking in hazardous conditions such as steep, rugged, mountainous terrain covered with snow and ice," the department said in a statement. "Without crampons (a specific type of traction device for ice climbing) and an ice axe, along with the proper training to use this equipment, this type of activity can lead to serious injury or death."