Hiker Found Dead in Romero Canyon Above Montecito

Woman had called for help, saying she was having chest pains, but remote location hampered emergency response

By Lara Cooper, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @laraanncooper | Published on 09.14.2012 5:05 p.m.

  • E-mail
  • Print this page Print
  • Post | View Comments (2)
    • Share
 

A woman who called authorities Friday afternoon to say she was suffering chest pains while hiking the Romero Canyon Trail above Montecito was found dead by first responders who struggled to access the remote location.

Paramedics reached the woman via helicopter at about 2:15 p.m., more than an hour after she had reported being in distress, according to a statement from the Montecito Fire Protection District.

When they arrived, the woman was dead, with her three dogs by her side. Her body was airlifted from the scene, and rescue crews hiked the dogs out to safety, where they were turned over to Santa Barbara County Animal Services.

The woman, whose identity and age were not released, was found approximately two miles from the top of the trail off East Camino Cielo, fire officials said.

Montecito firefighters responded to the incident along with personnel from sheriff’s Search & Rescue team, the Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Forest Service, AMR and Animal Services.

Dispatchers were able to obtain GPS coordinates from the woman’s cell phone, but because of her remote location, a helicopter was sent from Santa Barbara County to assist ground crews that hiked down from East Camino Cielo and up from Bella Vista Drive in Montecito, officials said.

— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

Comments

Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules as part of Noozhawk's shared online community. Please keep your comments civil and helpful. Don't attack other readers personally, and do not use vulgar, abusive or discriminatory language. Use the "Report Abuse" link if a comment violates these standards or our Terms of Use

You must be a registered user to comment. Create a user account

Log in




Auto-login on future visits

Forgot your password?

» noleta res on 09.14.12 @ 10:11 PM

How utterly tragic. My thoughts and prayers to her family.
Folks, it’s really hot out on the trails these days. Hike in the early morning hours and don’t overdo it!

» Kitkatbar on 09.15.12 @ 08:39 AM

This is so very sad to read.  The extreme heat is a problem…better to hike early and with human friends.  My condolences to the family.

More Local News »

Guerry Awards Recognize Excellence in Santa Barbara County Law Enforcement

Sheriff's Senior Deputy Christopher Gotschall and UCSB Police Officer Ryan Smith are honored with the Guerry Award for Valor

Santa Maria Council Approves Permit for New Hancock Apartment Complex

The Towbes Group plans to build 262 units on East Boone Street, with construction beginning by the end of the year

Chef Joe Hafner Serving Up a New Noozhawk Column

Word of Mouth will offer perspectives on a variety of culinary topics and issues

UCSB Revises Dorm Project to Address Neighbor Concerns

Raids Net Seven Arrests for Meth Sales in Santa Maria

Weather: Fair 59.0º


© Malamute Ventures LLC 2007-2013 | ISSN No. 1947-6086

Web Design & Development by PixelFive