Los Angeles County officials rescued a hiker Sunday afternoon after he suffered a medical emergency on a hiking trail.
The rescue took place in El Prieto Canyon in the mountains above Altadena. The LA County Sheriff’s Department sent its Air Rescue 5 with tactical medics to save the heat-stricken hiker.
The department reported that the patient was safe after suffering a “heat emergency.”
Heat Warnings for LA County
Temperatures in Altadena reached almost 100 degrees on a Sunday afternoon as the heat wave swept through Southern California. In preparation for the scorching weather, the National Weather Service issued a heat warning for much of the area.
An extreme heat warning is in effect for northern areas of Los Angeles County, including the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys, and is expected to last through Tuesday.
The NWS has set up a page where you can see how dangerous the heat can be in your area.
What you can do to prevent heat illness
The Public Health Service advises taking precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The agency reminds everyone to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day to reduce the risk of heat-related illness. The elderly, young children, pregnant people, outdoor workers, athletes and people with chronic medical conditions are more susceptible to these illnesses.
“While it is critical that we take care of ourselves, it is equally important that we reach out to those who need it. We need to be looking out for those who are more likely to get sick from the heat, including the elderly, the sick, pregnant women, children and people who live alone,” said LA County Health Officer Muntu Davis.
Symptoms of heat-related illness include high body temperature, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and hot, red, dry, or moist skin. Officials urge residents to call 911 if these symptoms occur. Heat stroke is a medical emergency.
“Hot days aren’t just uncomfortable — they can be dangerous,” Davis said. But if we stay hydrated and cool, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones, friends and neighbors.”
Rolling power outages can occur. Check with your provider to see if they have one planned.
If you need to get out of the heat, LA County and the City of LA will be operating cooling centers. You can find the nearest location here.
