Incident Report
Kern County Fire Department


Brandon Asher
Two patients hoisted from Kern River Trail
DATE: April 28, 2023
TIME: 13:57
Incident Number
K23-32036
Incident tYPE
Hoist Rescue
Location: Kern River Trail in the Kern River Canyon
Closest Community: Lake Isabella
Cause: Undetermined
Incident Narrative
Helicopter 407 was dispatched to the Lake Isabella area to assist in locating hikers suffering from dehydration. On the way, our pilots were able to obtain GPS coordinates of the hikers’ cell phones, which helped to quickly locate them. A KCFD rescuer was hoisted down to evaluate the hikers, and advised they would need to be hoisted from the scene. Both hikers were hoisted and transferred to an ambulance from the Democrat landing zone.
Injuries/Fatalities
Injuries: 2
Fatalities: 0
Property Lost/Saved
Estimated Value LOSS: $0
Estimated Value SAVED: $0
KCFD Equipment Assigned
Engines: E72, E76
Patrols: P72 , P76, P79
Trucks: None
Specialty Equipment: B7, H407, Crew 79
Total Personnel
18
Assisting Agencies
Liberty Ambulance
On Call Fire Information Officer
Phone: 1-661-330-0133