SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2019 


VOLUME 13 NO. 28

MISSING HIKER 
FOUND ALIVE AND 
WELL AFTER 7 DAYS

Photo and story courtesy Sierra Madre Search and Rescue

On Saturday June 22nd, 73 year old Eugene Jo went hiking 
out of the Three Points trailhead in the San Gabriel Mountains 
with 6 other hikers. Around 3:00 pm Jo became separated 
from the group. He was found 1 week later on Saturday 
June 29th after a massive search effort by search and rescue 
teams from across California. 

The Montrose Search and Rescue Team received a report of 
a missing hiker around 7:00 pm on Saturday June 22nd. As 
they began their search, the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue 
Team and the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team were called 
to assist. Field teams searched the area through the night, 
watching the sunrise on their assignments.

On Sunday, fresh searchers from 7 of Los Angeles County’s 
search and rescue teams deployed, and search assignments 
expanded. In the daylight they searched the trails in the Mt 
Waterman area, as well as off trail areas near where Jo’s hiking 
group had lunch. On Monday June 24th teams throughout 
California were called to join the search.

In the end, 25 teams responded from 10 counties including 
teams as far away as Marin and San Diego counties. Approximately 
3,200 acres were searched by 327 searchers alongside 
LA Search Dogs, Special Enforcement Bureau’s Unmanned 
Aircraft System, LA Sheriff’s Department and LA County 
Fire Department helicopters.

On Saturday June 29th over 75 searchers deployed into the 
field. That morning Jo was located deep in Devil’s Canyon 
by a field team from the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team. 
Jo was extracted by Air Rescue 5 and taken to Huntington 
Memorial Hospital where he was released later the same day. 

Jo’s family said that he would not give up. They were correct. 
Jo drank stream water, ate plants and tried to signal helicopters 
with his red vest. He was deep in thick brush in a huge 
search area though so he wasn’t located until a ground team 
got close to him and heard his response to their voices. 

The Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team (SMSR) fielded 
23 team members who logged over 650 hours between time 
spent in the field and assisting the Montrose Search and 
Rescue Team with overhead management of the operation. 
In large scale searches Incident Management Teams play 
a critical role. Throughout the day, personnel in the command 
post manage radio communication with field teams, 
interview the friends and family, interact with the media, 
debrief search teams, and processes GPS track logs. Based 
on information from each days’ search assignments and new 
information, the Planning Section works through the night 
to determine where teams will search the next day. 

As for the reactions when Jo was located, one SMSR team 
member reported, “I was elated when the radio call came 
in,” and another member shared that, “there were smiles, 
hugs, and tears of joy.” For now team members have returned 
home to wash off the dirt, tend to their bruises, and catch up 
on some much needed sleep. For SMSR it was a week spent 
in the service of their motto, “Anywhere in the wilderness 
someone needs help. . .”

Since 1951, the all-volunteer Sierra Madre Search and Rescue 
Team has responded to calls for help in the local mountains 
and beyond. SMSR also provides a range of wilderness safety 
programs. The Team never charges for any of these services, 
and is funded entirely by charitable donations. For more information, 
to donate, or to arrange a wilderness safety demonstration 
for your school or group, visit www.smsr.org. 

ALL-STAR RE-SWEEP!

Sierra Madre Little League All Stars Repeat 
Sweep of District 17 Tournament 

Submitted by Walker Haynes 

The Sierra Madre 11-12 year old All-Star team swept the District 17 tournament last 
week in un-precedented fashion, punching their ticket for the second year in a row to 
the California Section 2 All-Star tournament. This team, led by manager Brian Kriebs, 
is made up of mostly the same players that won the 10-11 year old district tournament 
last season in similar fashion. 

The District 17 tournament was hosted by Pasadena Southwest Little League, and all 
games were played at Stan Gray Field in Allendale Park. The first game was against 
Arcadia American, and Sierra Madre came out on top, 7-3. The second match-up was 
against Central Altadena, and that 10-1 win put Madre squarely in the winners bracket. 

The semifinal game, against a tough Santa Anita squad, was a bonafide pitcher’s duel 
between some of the best pitchers in the district. Madre prevailed 5-1, setting the stage 
for a championship game against the winning team from the los-ers bracket. That game, 
played on Tuesday, July 9th, was a rematch against Santa Anita, ad had all the drama 
of a championship game. The stands were packed, and the stage was set as Madre’s ace 
Cash Carroll took the mound. Santa Anita jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, and Sier-ra 
Madre answered, scoring two runs in the third inning and one run in the fourth inning. 
Santa Anita added one run in the fifth inning, and the score was 3-2 heading into the 
sixth inning. That inning was the turning point: Madre’s bats went to work, scoring 
seven additional runs to clinch the 10-2 win. Carroll pitched the entire game, throwing 
75 pitches, allowing only five hits and two runs, with five strikeouts and zero walks, 
and the Madre offense had eight hits, led by Yahir Tre-to, who was 2 for 3. In their four 
tournament games, Sierra Madre allowed only seven runs while offensively overpowering 
the competition, scoring a total of 32 runs. 

The team will head to the California Section 2 All-Star tournament in Northridge, 
which runs July 13th-17th.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com