11:35 a.m.A group of about 19 Boy Scouts and their leaders were stranded Monday morning by rushing water from a nearby river at a backcountry campground.
Search and Rescue teams were working to help the stranded group, who were hiking and camping near the Nira Campground in the Los Padres National Forest.
At 8:30 a.m. Monday, a 9-1-1 call came in from the area, requesting assistance.
“The Scouts are tired, cold and hungry, and are requiring assistance,” said Capt. David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
No injuries have been reported with the group, according to Drew Sugars, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department. He said water levels from the weekend’s rains caused the river to rise so much that the hikers were unable to cross.
Helicopters from Search and Rescue as well as the County Fire Department, with paramedics and rescue swimmers on board, were working to find an appropriate landing zone so they could airlift people out. Otherwise, they may have to hoist the stranded hikers out of the area, Sugars said.
Information is limited because of their remote location, but Sugars said an update on the rescue would be forthcoming. Once rescued, the Scouts will be flown to the Santa Ynez Airport, where they will be evaluated by SBCFD firefighter paramedics.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.
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