17 Year Old Hiker From Murphys Area Rescued By CHP Helicopter

Hathaway Pines, Ca — A CHP Helicopter helped rescue an injured hiker this morning near the area of Hathaway Pines.

Officer Mike Maddox says 17 year old Kason Hancock was hurt while hiking along the Stanislaus River near Candy Rock. The area is located off of Hunter Dam Rd.

“He had a couple buddies with him that had gone out to get help for him,” says Maddox.The ground crews were trying to work their way into the canyon when the CHP helicopter got him out.” Maddox says the rescue occurred at 10:36am. He says the helicopter saved about two or three hours in getting the hiker to the hospital. Also involved in the effort were the Ebbets Pass Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service personnel.

Hancock, who is from the Murphys area, was transported to Sonora Regional Medical Center and treated for pain in his back. How Hancock was injured is not immediately known.

Maddox says the CHP has a helicopter in the air seven days a week, twenty four hours a day. It just so happened, that it was currently over El Dorado County when it monitored the call. Maddox says the response time was approximately ten minutes.

Written by BJ Hansen