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By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Los Angeles Fire Department Air Ops conducted a hoist operation for two hikers, while a ground and air search was underway for a third hiker, on Saturday, August 12, at 1501 Will Rogers State Park Road.
“LAFD Air Ops, in coordination with firefighters on the ground, located two of three lost but uninjured hikers,” according to LAFD Spokesperson Margaret Stewart. “Air Ops conducted a hoist operation to retrieve the two hikers, and the search continues from both ground and air for the third hiker whom had left the group.”
The 911 call was received at 9:10 p.m., according to Stewart. After an “exhaustive search by air and ground of all trails in the area,” LAFD was unable to locate the third missing hiker, Margaret continued.
“The adult male hiker has not [been] in contact with his family and this incident is now transitioning to a ‘missing person’ with LAPD in command (anticipating [LA County Sheriff’s Department] providing ground search personnel),” according to the alert.
In an update sent Tuesday morning, August 15, Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin reported that he believes “the person was found.”
“I have not received official word but generally if there is a person still missing, we continue to do hourly checks with the family and continue to search for the missing person,” he wrote, “which we are not currently doing.”
Will Rogers State Historic Park Interpreter Bill Hamm confirmed on Tuesday afternoon, August 15, that “hikers were all found,” but no other details were available.
An email to LAFD media operations went unanswered as this story published.
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