LAKE ELSINORE: Injured man rescued from mountainside after hang gliding accident

LAKE ELSINORE — A man suffered minor injuries and had to be airlifted from a remote,  mountainous area after crashing while hang gliding, Sunday, Oct. 15. The accident and remote area rescue happened near Ortega Highway and Main Divide Road, in an unincorporated area of the Cleveland National Forest west of Lake Elsinore.

Riverside County Sheriff and Fire officials were dispatched to reports of a hang glider down just before 1 p.m., Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Public Information Officer Tawny Cabral explained in an incident report. They were assisted by U.S. Forest Service rangers, American Medical Response medics and other emergency first responders.

“The first arriving engine company reported one hang gliding victim approximately one mile off of the roadway,” said Cabral. Firefighters hiked in to the location of the victim and determined he was not able to walk back out to the roadway and a waiting ambulance.

Cal Fire’s Copter 301 was summoned and responded to the area to assist in plucking the victim from the rugged and remote area where he crashed.

After Copter 301 conducted a technical hoist rescue, the aviation crew flew the victim to a waiting ground ambulance. AMR medics then transported the victim to an area hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

Officials did not specify the nature or extent of the victim’s injuries and no other information or details about the accident or rescue were readily available.

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

More than one dozen firefighters responded to reports of a hang glider who crashed near Lake Elsinore. William Hayes photo

Fire officials hiked one mile to where a hang glider crashed. William Hayes photo

Officials hike along a remote trail to reach a man injured when his hang glider crashed. William Hayes photo

Cal Fire’s Copter 301 was called in to help with the remote area rescue. William Hayes photo

An aviation crew and other rescuers take off to help pluck an injured hang glider from a Lake Elsinore mountainside. William Hayes photo

Aviation Crew members head towards a downed hang glider. William Hayes photo

Copter 301 flies over the heads of fire officials, who hiked a mile to reach the injured man. William Hayes photo

Cal Fire Aviation Crew members were instrumental in the remote area rescue. William Hayes photo

Copter 301 conducts a technical hoist to rescue an injured hang glider. William Hayes photo

Cal Fire’s Copter 301 returns to a staging area after airlifting an injured man. William Hayes photo

An injured man is loaded onto a waiting ambulance. William Hayes photo

The victim sustained minor injuries, according to fire officials. William Hayes photo

Firefighters store equipment used during the technical hoist and rescue. William Hayes photo

Citizens recover a hang glider after a man crashed onto a remote area, west of Lake Elsinore. William Hayes photo

Exhausted fire officials return to a staging area after hiking more than two miles during the remote area rescue. William Hayes photo

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries 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.