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A spike in the number of deaths, injuries and rescues near Eaton Canyon Falls north of Altadena has led authorities to unite in a safety campaign.
Their message: Hiking to the secluded second waterfall above the canyon is not worth losing your life.
Faced with 60 rescues in the Eaton Canyon area over the last 12 months, search and rescue officials from the County Parks and Recreation Department, the Sheriff’s Department, and the Pasadena and County fire departments joined forces to create a public service campaign.
Pasadena Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team Captain Bob Taylor at April 17, 2012 press conference to discuss the dangers of hiking to Eaton Canyon Falls. [Photo: James Macpherson]“It is important that everyone understand that there is no designated, defined trail to the secondary waterfall,†said Pasadena Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team Captain Bob Taylor.
“Trying to climb a mountaintop ridge in a crumbling mountainside is not worth losing your life (or) risking serious injury to yourself and others,†Taylor added.
Of the 60 performed rescues, two resulted in recovery operations of hikers’ bodies. 35 resulted in injuries, 20 of which had to be flown out by helicopter.
The increase in rescues stem from the apparent proliferation of the news about an alleged trail leading to a second waterfall, which leads hikers to stray off designated hiking trails in order to reach the fabled landmark.
An increasing number of people are drawn to the second waterfall in the Angeles national forest due to inaccurate information that they get from friends or even from social media sites, the authorities said.
These attempts to reach a second waterfall have greatly increased rescues, injuries and even deaths.
“What makes this extremely difficult for us is the decision that people make to commit themselves to an area in which is unsafe — it’s steep, it’s sheer, and its rugged — puts themselves at risks but furthermore puts first responders at risk. It gets more complicated when you get into the nighttime rescues where we’re having to rely on night vision goggles,†said Assistant Chief Bill Niccum from the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Aside from the risks involved, the rescues also exact its toll on the involved departments logistically as they also cost time, money, and manpower.
The Pasadena Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team for instance, has been diverted from focusing on their other responsibilities, having responded to is highest number of rescues and fatalities last year in Eaton Canyon Park, Taylor said.
“We now have to rely on other stations and outside agencies for distant coverage,†said Taylor.
As part of the public service campaign, the various agencies also distributed a video to local TV stations, which can also be watched here.
Park rangers are now dispatched to the canyon trails on weekends to talk to hikers about the dangers of straying off designated trails.
“Hike responsibly. Don’t become a statistic or put emergency responders at risk rescuing you,†warned Taylor.
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