Hikers Survive After Being Stranded 3 Days on Snowy Mountain

By Bethanie H

Published

03/11/2025

Two hikers learned about the dangers of winter hiking the hard way, but thankfully, they lived to tell the tale. Veda Lin and Christopher Ng were hiking an icy ridge-line trail near Idyllwild, California when they slipped, ultimately falling about 800 feet down a snowy cliff. It took rescuers about three days to retrieve the stranded hikers due to challenging winter-weather conditions, including fierce winds that prevented a helicopter from reaching their position.

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In an interview, Lin says as long as she heard Ng’s breaths over the course of that first night, she was determined to keep breathing, too. Volunteers reached Lin and Ng by foot the morning after the fall, bringing life-saving supplies. The volunteers sheltered in place with the survivors while they waited for a break in the weather.

In an Instagram post from Riverside Sheriff Aviation, rescuers detail how helicopters made several attempts to hoist the victims out, but the winds prevented a successful rescue.

“Finally the morning of the third day after the three attempts, Rescue 9 crew was able to affect a windy hoist and got the male victim who was the most severely injured flown to Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment,” said Riverside Sheriff Aviation. “Cal Fire crew helicopter 608 came in and successfully hoisted the female hiker out.”

Watch as the stranded hikers are rescued: