Utah hikers rescued after being stranded in freezing temperatures on California's Mount Shasta

SALT LAKE CITY — Two hikers from Salt Lake City were rescued after what started as a day hike on California's Mount Shasta turned into a day-and-a-half survival ordeal.

According to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office a 20-year-old woman and 19-year-old man set out on their hike early Monday morning. But they became stranded in freezing temperatures without enough food, water or warm clothing.

They called for help Monday night at around 10:30 p.m. as they tried to make their way down the mountain, and were advised to keep descending because temperatures had reached the low teens. After a second call to rescuers, their cell phones died.

They eventually became stranded at an elevation of 11,000 feet. Search crews spent much of Tuesday looking for them before hearing their shouts in the nearby Cascade Gulch.

Rescuers found the pair about a thousand feet below the trail after they'd been on the move for roughly 36 hours.

Related topics