16 hours Ago By USA TODAY
Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies have found a missing snowboarder who managed to survive two frigid nights alone in Southern California's mountain communities. Malachi Luis Garcia, 35, was reported missing around 1:30 p.m.
on Sunday after last being seen at Mountain High Resort in the city of Wrightwood, the sheriff's office said in a news release . Garcia, who was described as a bearded man with a tattoo of "Only God can Trust Me" on his collar bone and full sleeve tattoos on both forearms, was wearing a grey hoodie, camo pants and a gold chain, according to the sheriff's department. Deputies found Garcia on Tuesday after initially having concerns about his well-being, the sheriff's office said.
"He was pretty cold, and I think a little bit emotional," Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Springer, who was the crew chief of one of the rescue helicopters during the search, told USA TODAY on Wednesday. "He had no trauma and no injuries that needed actual intervention." How was Malachi Luis Garcia found? Springer said the search began on Sunday around 1:30 p.
m. local time when Garcia's friends, with whom he had gone snowboarding, reported him missing. Springer and his team got a request to conduct an aerial search of the area where Garcia was last seen, particularly focusing on the backside of the mountain because that is "typically where people go missing," he added.
The mountains outside Los Angeles and across Southern California were blanketed with snow on Sunday due to a storm system that helped settle the dry conditions that contributed to recent wildfires earlier this month. The National Weather Service said the Wrightwood area received three inches of snow over the weekend. "There really hasn't been a lot of snow, so this is really the first big storm that they've had up there, which typically draws a big crowd," Springer said about the Mountain High area.
"Everybody's waiting for the good snow." When Springer spoke to Garcia about what happened, the snowboarder recalled getting disoriented and ending up down on the backside of the mountain, according to the deputy. Garcia's rescue could be attributed to some "fresh boot prints" that were found near Cabin Flat Campground, which is an older campground that people sometimes end up wandering down, Springer said.
Deputies followed the footprints to an area called Vincent Gulch, which is a trail southwest of Wrightwood, and there they found a shivering Garcia, Springer said. "He didn't have on the proper gear to be out overnight in that weather," according to the deputy. "He had on what he needed to probably be comfortable for the day but definitely wasn't prepared to be out overnight in the elements like that.
" Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Casey Cheshier, who assisted in the search, told the Los Angeles Times that Garcia did not have a working phone or other supplies when they found him. How did Malachi Luis Garcia survive? Deputy Orlando Martinez, who also assisted with the search, told The Times that drones and heat-detecting devices were used throughout the two-day operation. "We had about 40 search and rescue members [from] throughout the state,” Martinez said, per The Times.
“We want to make sure we get him while he’s still alive, due to the weather.” Garcia, who was deemed OK after being evaluated by doctors, is estimated to have walked around four and a half miles and descended at least 2,500 feet in elevation while he was missing, according to Springer. "It's pretty steep terrain back there on the backside with a lot of exposure, so you could easily fall to your death," the deputy said.
"He's lucky he even made it down the base of the mountain." To survive the cold climate, Garcia told Springer that he hunkered down at night next to an old tree to stay warm, but during the day he just walked around in that general area to keep moving and his body temperature up, according to the deputy. Garcia also told Martinez that he drank stream water to stay hydrated, The Times reported.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing snowboarder rescued after surviving 2 days in CA mountains.
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