Deputies spend six hours searching for lost Nepalese hiker
IDYLLWILD — A Nepalese woman visiting Idyllwild was rescued after becoming lost for about six hours Wednesday, June 26. The hiker lost her way while searching for a place to meditate with her friends along the South Ridge Trail, according to Sheriff’s officials.
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Deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station responded to the South Ridge Trail Head after receiving a 911 call from the lost hiker.
According to the woman, later identified as Sajana Godar, of Nepal, she was not an experienced hiker and had wandered away from her camp site and became lost while “scouting the area for a great place to meditate with her friends,” officials said in a social media release after the successful rescue.
Based on the circumstances and difficult terrain where Godar was last known to be, volunteer members from Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit along with “Raven,” a Sheriff’s bloodhound trained in scent tracking, responded to the scene to assist in searching for the lost hiker.
Deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station and other rescuers spent six hours hiking through difficult terrain along the South Ridge Trail in Idyllwild while searching for a lost hiker who was visiting the area from Nepal. RSO photo
“After a six-hour search throughout the ridge, we were able to locate Sajana safely,” officials later explained. “She was in good spirits and just a little bit hungry.”
Deputies escorted the woman back to her camp site, where she was reunited her with her friends, “who were elated to see her back.”
“This was the best possible ending to what could have been a more tragic event,” officials said. “Not everyone is this lucky, so please take that into consideration before you go out to explore our beautiful hiking trails.”
After the successful rescue, officials took the opportunity to remind area residents and visitors about the dangers of solo-hiking and heading out on unfamiliar trails without enough food, water, or other items necessary for a safe and successful hike.
“Yes, we know the scenery is gorgeous, but if you are not an experienced hiker, do not head out on your own,” officials cautioned. “While we are always eager to meet new visitors in this beautiful community, we would rather do so under better, less terrifying circumstances.”
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Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.