Trapped Californians rescued from snow with help from neighbors

LOS ANGELES — Search crews have rescued Californians who were stuck within a few feet of snow for days after hurricanes swept through the state’s mountain communities and locked many in their homes.

In Inyo County on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, volunteer rescuers spent several days trying to find the man who was last heard from on Feb. 24 before he left the Big Pine community. The California Highway Patrol on Thursday identified a cell phone signal associated with the man and dispatched a helicopter crew who spotted a partially snow-covered vehicle with a man waving inside, sheriff authorities said in a statement.

In the San Bernardino Mountains, sheriff’s authorities on Friday rescued a couple of 17-year-olds who had been sent for a walk on the Pacific Crest section five days earlier and had not spoken to their parents for three days. The sheriff’s helicopter flew over the trail and landed in heavy snowfall to rescue teenagers who were traveling through snowdrifts four to five feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) high and with limited visibility making it difficult to stay on the trail. the county sheriff said. the department said in a statement.

A dramatic rescue comes as California struggles to dig mountain communities out of as much as 10 feet (3 meters) of snow after successive storms hit the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in 13 counties, including San Bernardino County, where heavy snowfall led to road closures, power outages, roof collapses and residents being locked in their homes for more than a week.

Some residents may be closed for another week due to problems clearing so much snow. The Red Cross organized a shelter at the local high school, and food distribution centers were set up in several communities.

Kathy Curtis, who lives in the San Bernardino mountain community of Crestline, said she walked five miles (eight kilometers) in snowshoes to deliver a canister of gasoline to a family stranded in their home to feed a generator.

“I’m healthy, so I just thought, okay, I can walk, and I did, but it was probably the longest day of my life,” Curtis said, adding that there is someone in the family for medical testimony. She said that the cars are completely covered in snow. and it’s piled up to the roof of her house.

“We’re just so tired in every way,” she said.

Another major storm is expected in Northern California this weekend, bringing even more snow to mountainous areas, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Snow showers are possible in the mountains of San Bernardino County on Sunday, according to the San Diego National Weather Service.

See more from ABC10: Storms in Northern California: people stuck in houses due to snow | To the point