LAKE ELSINORE: Hang glider airlifted after crashing near Ortega Highway
LAKE ELSINORE – A hang glider suffered moderate injuries and had to be rescued by helicopter after he crashed in a steep, rugged area west of Lake Elsinore Saturday, April 1.
The hang glider went down near Main Divide Road south of Ortega Highway in the unincorporated area of Lake Elsinore.
Fourteen firefighters from three engine companies and one truck company responded to the rescue at 1:44 p.m., according to Cabral. They were assisted by a Cal Fire helicopter, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and members of the U.S .Forest Service.
After they arrived in the area, firefighter/paramedics bean searching for the victim. With witnesses and onlookers pointing the way, officials located the victim and began treating his injuries.
Due to the victim’s remote location and the rugged terrain, fire personnel determined the man would need to be airlifted from the location. Fire personnel requested Cal Fire helicopter 301, which has hoist capability.
“Copter 301 extracted and transferred the victim to a waiting ground ambulance,” Cal Fire/riverside County fire Public Information Officer Tawny Cabral explained in an incident report after the man’s rescue. “The victim was transported by ground ambulance to an area hospital with moderate injuries.”
Officials did not specify the nature or extent of the victim’s injuries.
There were no updates regarding the victim’s status and condition.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.