San Bernardino County Fire Rescues Motorists Stranded in the Wilderness

Article and photos by Raymond Ray

At 8:56 p.m. on Saturday evening, a 911 caller requested rescue assistance from San Bernardino County Fire. According to transcribed 911 call information, a total of 15 people including three children, were stranded on a dirt road approximately 14 miles west of Fawnskin n the Deep Creek Wilderness.

According to officials at the scene, in an apparent attempt to circumvent a road closure on Highway 18, a convoy of vehicles left Fawnskin attempting to reach Green Valley Lake. A network of unmaintained dirt roads that are popular amongst Jeep enthusiasts during the summer connects Big Bear and Green Valley Lake through the wilderness.

Recent rains however, have left the backroads in poor condition. Rock slides, washouts and fallen trees are just some of the obstacles that litter these roadways during the winter. Additionally, three to four feet of snow and ice add to the perils that motorists and in this case, rescuers, could encounter trying to drive on these back roads.

A CalTrans employee manning the Highway 18 road closure at Green Valley Lake in Highway 18, indicated that dozens of people per hour this weekend were following their GPS through Green Valley Lake in an attempt to find a detour around the road closure.

By 10:00 p.m., San Bernardino County Fire officials had established the Crab Flats IC (Incident Command) at the corner of Green Valley Lake Road and Crab Flats Road. Bob Evans, a Battalion Chief with San Bernardino County fire, was the Incident Commander and began organizing resources to mount a rescue operation.

The temperature at the IC was 27 degrees and conditions were foggy with sleet and snow falling throughout the operation causing low visibility for the rescuers. Agencies on scene included San Bernardino County fire, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Citizen’s Patrol.

A San Bernardino County Fire Snow Cat was deployed from the corner of Green Valley Lake Road and Crab Flats Road with a two-person team. Following lat/long coordinates, they attempted to gain access to the location where the stranded motorists awaited rescue. Approximately 45 minutes in on the trail however, the snow cat encountered a swollen creek and was unable to proceed. The crew operating the snow cat had to dig out an area using shovels to turn the vehicle around, afterwhich, they returned to the IC. Battalion Chief Evans then dispatched a larger Snow Cat which was transported by trailer from Lake Arrowhead. At approximately 1:00 am, both snow cats returned to the swollen creek. The larger snowcat was able to cross the creek and proceeded with the rescue efforts while the first smaller snow cat stood by at the creek.

Concurrently, an additional San Bernardino County Fire Snow Cat from Station 96 in Fawnskin, proceeded to follow the same route that the vehicles had reportedly taken from Fawnskin. A few miles into the trek through the snow covered wilderness trails, the rescue crew encountered a large tree that had fallen across the trail. The equipment on board the snow cat at that particular time was insufficient to cut that tree down and clear the trail. That snow cat returned to the Fawnskin Fire Station to retrieve larger chainsaws and more equipment.

incidentally, while that was taking place, the Battalion Chief Evans was able to make contact with the stranded party by cell phone. They indicated that they also had come across the same tree and had to back track to a different trail as they attempted to find another route. It was on that secondary trail that their vehicles became stuck. They confirmed at that point that their location was approximately 14 miles into the wilderness from the Fawnskin fire station.

As of 2:00 a.m., the rescue plan was for the snow cats to ferry small groups of the rescuees back to the IC in Green Valley Lake and the rescue operation was in progress. After that they would be transported by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to Running Springs where they could seek secondary transportation to get to whatever destination they chose.

At 2:19 a.m., Battalion Chief Bob Evans informed our correspondents on scene that the first load of nine rescuees were enpoute back to the IC via snow cat. They were expected to arrive shortly before 3 a.m. According to Battalion Chief Evans, four dogs were also being rescued from the scene.

At 2:53 a.m., the first group was successfully transported by snow cat back to the IC. The children and a group of adults were the first rescued. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s units on scene transported that group to a safe location in Running Springs. The larger snow cat then headed back into the wilderness to retrieve the remaining victims.

The second and final group of victims were rescued and brought back to the IC just after 4:30 am. The rescuees seemed to be in good spirits. They stated that during the 12-hour ordeal, they had snacks and drinks and remained in their vehicles until rescuers arrived on scene. No firefighters or victims were injured during this incident. The stranded vehicles were left at the scene in the wilderness and will be retrieved by the vehicle owners at a later date.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department would like to remind motorists that GPS devices cannot always be trusted to provide proper directions. Officials warn that attempting to circumvent road closures can end in life-threatening situations for stranded motorists as well as rescue personnel during winter months when attempting off road detours. Motorists should consult the social media pages and websites for Caltrans District 8 and the California Highway Patrol to obtain current road conditions.

Motorists can also visit the Mountain Reporter website at www.MountainReporter.com and Facebook page for traffic updates. Live broadcasts as tonight’s events unfolded can be found on the Mountain Reporter Facebook page.