Hiker safely rescued after getting lost overnight at Garrapata State Park.

When it goes right, it sounds like a dream routine. A 69-year-old woman who lives in Carmel Highlands routinely takes a hike at Garrapata State Park on a lovely stretch of good-quality trail, a rarity in this park where much of the steep terrain is eroded and the trail is closed. She would stick to the open trail for about a mile, walking on a gentle incline along Soberanes Creek through a chapparal-lined canyon and through redwoods, then turn around and hike back. 

But something went wrong on Wednesday, May 28. She left home around 2pm planning to do her usual 2-mile hike. When she had not returned home by 6pm, her family started looking for her and found her vehicle still parked at the trailhead. 

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office and California State Parks were notified, and the Monterey County Search and Rescue Team was assembled to try to find her. The team worked until about 2am, but did not find the hiker. 

They resumed their search at 7am Thursday morning, May 29. Hours passed and then around 12:30pm, a member of the search team heard a faint voice responding to the team's calls—they had located the missing hiker. She was successfully rescued and received only minor injuries.

Monterey County Sheriff's Cmdr. Andy Rosas said she reported becoming disoriented on her hike on Wednesday. Instead of sticking with her usual route, she ended up high on the exposed ridge above the canyon. She kept stumbling and falling on the steep, eroded terrain. She spent the night up on the ridge. 

In the morning, she continued trying to find her way, but ended up on a use trail rather than the main trail. Unable to hike the terrain she decided to stay put and sat under a tree, where rescuers found her. 

A California Highway Patrol helicopter transported her to a hospital where she was treated for minor injuries. 

Groups that assisted in the search are Santa Cruz Search and Rescue, Santa Clara County Search and Rescue, Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, San Mateo County Search and Rescue, CHP, Cal Fire, California Rescue Dog Association and Monterey County Urban Search & Rescue.