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[LSDailyNews] Local DJ Carl Medina gets rescued from state park; Park Rangers share tips


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NEWS • Local News

Written by Yunisa DELGADO-FLORES • June 17th, 2022 — 9:17PM

Local DJ Carl Medina gets rescued from state park; Park Rangers share tips

 

A local celebrity and business owner Carl Medina sees his buggy driving activities come to a halt after he crashed in Mount Chiliad's wilderness. Captain Matt Graham from the SAPR shares what you should do if you find yourself in this situation.

 

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Carl Medina, wearing a helmet courtesy of Pala Springs, ready to drive off with their buggy - Courtesy of Carl Medina's Facebrowser Page.

 

 

“This is going to be FUN! Just rented this from Pala Springs Cafe!” wrote Carl Medina, local DJ and owner of the Split Sides Comedy Club in West Vinewood, on their Facebrowser page on June the 15th, before he went on a trip through San Andreas' state parks with a rented buggy. “Although If I never post again, I probably flew off a cliff...”

 

Followers of Medina’s Facebrowser were shocked by their next post; a collection of pictures showing their rescue from the top of one of the various peaks in Mount Chiliad’s wilderness with the simple message “Alexa, Show me irony.”

 

Many followers commented their concern and shared the hilarity of the situation. Carmen, the owner of the DESBURRITO taco truck, mentioned she was laughing due to Medina’s comments before checking his wellbeing. Another user shared the comedic irony when they mentioned they thought the buggy looked like fun on Medina’s prior post.

 

“I rented a buggy from Pala Spring Cafe, which is at the bottom of Mount Chilad, I had a bit of spare time, and it was something I had wanted to try for some time.” shared Medina in an interview with Daily News’ Yunisa Delgado-Flores. “I found a map and followed the path up the mountain, the speed of the buggy took me by surprise, it took the incline with no issue at all.

 

“I got near the peak, at which point a rabbit startled me, it appeared from nowhere. Next thing I know, I am heading the wrong way over the edge, only to get momentarily stopped by a well-placed rock. I managed to climb out, and in true dramatic style, the buggy slipped off the rock and careered down the mountain.

 

“Leaving me literally stranded between a rock and, well, a hard place.”

 

On the San Andreas Park Rangers’ website, the following advice is given when operating off-road vehicles on state park trails.

 

“Drive with courtesy in mind. Be prepared to yield at any moment if you have any doubts about the trail ahead. Approach bends, curves and hill crests with caution and always assume there are other vehicles ahead.”

 

Carl Medina was later rescued from the top of the mountain due to efforts by the Fire Department and the San Andreas Park Rangers, rescued via an airlift by a Fire Department helicopter. He was uninjured from the accident.

 

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The buggy was rented from a business local to the Paleto region, Pala Springs. When asked about the safety measures and training given by the company prior to Medina hiring the buggy, Medina shared that the saleswoman “gave them a helmet” and had them sign a waiver.

 

“They did ring me, when my Hire was near an end, I was clearly not going to be returning the buggy. When I got dropped off by the Fire Department she drove me back up, which I wasn't that keen on, but I could show her where the buggy was.

 

“Although, I thought that the massive plume of smoke, might have been a giveaway.”

 

The Daily News reached out to Pala Springs Café’s owner “Jenny” for a comment on June the 16th. Jenny has yet to reach back to the Daily.

 

Captain Matt Graham of the San Andreas State Park Rangers spoke briefly on companies that offer buggy rental services. In response to a question asking whether these companies should do more to ensure the driver is properly prepared, he said “absolutely.”

 

“The vehicles provided are a bit difficult to navigate, speaking from experience. Those who are not trained should be given proper instructions on how to operate them safely due to the high risk of roll-over or alike.”

 

When asked about Carl Medina’s accident and rescue, he said “To look at the instance of mister Medina, the possibility of underestimation of the wilderness comes into play. Now one absolutely cannot speculate, but I cannot stress this enough. Once you go out into the woods, or in this case say Mount Chiliad, always ensure that you know what you are doing.”

 

 

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Captain Matt Graham of the San Andreas Park Rangers who was willing to share his advice — Yunisa Delgado-Flores, June 16th, 8:20PM

 

 

 

 

If we were Medina, what should we do?

Medina, when they were stuck atop of the mountain, found a signal on their phone. They proceeded to call 911, where they soon were rescued by efforts by the Fire Department and the Park Rangers.

 

However, thousands upon thousands of people need rescue from the United States’ national parks every year. And many times, their phones may not be available. Their phones may not be able to find a signal, their phones could be damaged, their phones could be out of battery; there are numerous reasons why a hiker may not be able to rely on their phone.

 

The United States National Park Services reported that, in the year of 2017, a grand total of 4,194 Search and Rescue incidents took place. Approximately 2000 of these operations resulted in those lost being found uninjured and not suffering from any illness. Approximately 1,500 of these operations found those that have been reported missing with them being ill or injured of varying degrees of severity, ranging from minor injuries to being in critical condition.

 

423 of these operations were unable to find the missing persons, and 187 found the missing persons deceased.

 

The National Parks Services categorize deaths within their parks in one of three categories: Unintentional, intentional, and medical.

 

Unintentional being the largest category at 55%. These deaths are from falls, slips, incidents of drowning, attacks by wild animals, dehydration, or any other incident that wasn’t caused intentionally that caused someone’s death. Medical reasons, as in heart attacks or other medical conditions that lead to someone’s death whilst hiking in a national park, is its own category. Medical reasons make up 22% of fatalities within national parks.

 

Captain Matt Graham of the Park Rangers devised the following system to advise hikers what they should do if they were lost in San Andreas’ state parks: STOP. Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. 

 

He also noted the three things you should try to do. The first is to try to signal those around and try to attract as much attention as possible in hopes other hikers or Park Rangers will hear.

 

“If you cannot move? Try and stay put and do not stray from your location too far, keep your communication devices on and otherwise. Secondly, shout. Scream, use a whistle, anything to make noise.

 

“You need assistance and appropriately show that you do.”

 

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If signalling fails and there’s no one around to assist you, then Graham stresses the importance of how proper preparation will lead to your survival.

 

“Now... in such instances, signalling is the most important thing you can do, but if you're in for the long run and there ain't nobody around you? That's where the gear you're supposed to prepare comes in.

 

"Drink sufficient amounts of water first of all. Now this is very important. Never, and I mean never ration your water.”

 

Dehydration is a common occurrence for unprepared hikers with deaths from it happening every year, according to survival expert Cat Bigney who previously consulted Bear Grylls and National Geographic in an interview with Insider.

 

Some common ways you can spot dehydration is the color of your urine. From the UK’s National Health Services’ website, they define symptoms of dehydration as: feeling thirsty; dark yellow and strong smelling pee; dizziness or lightheadedness; tiredness; a dry mouth, lips and eyes; and peeing little.

 

The NHS also notes those who have diabetes, those who have been vomiting or suffer from diarrhea, and those who suffer from heatstroke are more prone to dehydration.

 

“There are tons of instances of hikers being found deceased with plenty of water on them because they decided to ration it. Drink as much as you got to.”

 

“Secondly, if night is coming, put on more layers, stay warm. Build a fire if you have a ferrocerium rod, matches or anything that can create a spark. Or if you know methods such as bow-drill and otherwise, try using those as well. Make sure you got yourself a proper shelter prepped, seek somewhere dry where you won't get hypothermia.”

 

“Now lastly, if you're injured, try and administer aid to yourself the best you can. Eat enough food, do not eat any wild plants that you are not familiar with.”

 

“You can survive three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water and three weeks without food. Take all of those into account respectively, and be ready.”

 

 

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What should we bring?

Graham stressed the importance of proper preparation to ensure your safety and survival when visiting San Andreas’ state parks. Preparation not only includes what to bring, but also what to know and what to do prior to your trip.

 

“First up, know where you are going and what will you do, and prepare accordingly. For example, if you were to go hiking, ensure that you have sufficient amounts of food and water on you, and always inform someone about where you will be and when to expect you back."

 

Information about what trails are available in San Andreas’ state parks, along with photos to preview these parks before you leave, are available on the San Andreas Park Rangers’ website. Information on Ranton Canyon’s Trails can be found at this link, while Galileo Park’s trails can be found at this link.

 

“Secondly, comes in your gear. Once more, it depends on what you will do, but the idea is the same. Say it's a one-day trip? Get some proper hiking boots, and loose clothing according to the weather. I cannot stress it enough, but most of the time we see folk running around in attire absolutely unfit for the wilderness.”

 

The American Hiking Society notes the ten essential things to bring: Appropriate footwear that has good traction, support, and protection; a map and a physical compass or GPS device; water, along with methods to purify water in case you run out; calorie-dense food such as energy bars and nuts; gear for rain such as raincoats, hats, and gloves, to prepare for sudden changes in weather; safety items such as methods to start a fire and a flashlight to navigate the dark; a first-aid-kit to treat any injury or illness you come to while hiking, along with the appropriate knowledge to use it; a knife or multi-tool; sun protection, regardless of the season; and emergency shelter such as a tent or, as recommended by the American Hiking Society, a space-blanket.

 

The American Hiking Society also recommends that hikers bring a trash bag and disposable gloves to dispose of any trash they create, writing “Pack this 11th essential to making sure that the trails you love stay beautiful for generations to come.”

 

“And the wilderness can be very unkind to those who are unprepared. But if you have proper attire, such as boots, clothes, sufficient amounts of water and food, ways of navigation and prior preparation you should do just grand.

 

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“On top of that, there's always many threats lurking about” added Graham. "Going on about without any proper training or scouting ahead so to speak will most likely lead to you getting lost hurt or otherwise. Not to mention our very varied ecosystem with many predatory animals that reside in our parks who can make your trip just that much more unpleasant.”

 

According to Outforia, an outdoor and nature resource website that collected data gathered from 1999 to 2019 from the CDC to see which states held the most amount of animal attacks, San Andreas ranked 2nd. Over the 20-year period, a total of 299 deaths were reported to be caused by animal attacks; this equals to over 14 deaths every year.

 

Southern San Andreas is home to a number of dangerous animals for hikers. Black bears, cougars, coyotes are a common sight in San Andreas’ wildernesses, and venomous creatures such as bark scorpions and rattlesnakes can be found in San Andreas’ deserts.

 

If a black bear approaches you, the Department of Natural Resources advise that you use bear spray. If you do not have bear spray with you, then they advise you to try to dissuade the bear from getting closer by backing away, talking in a firm voice, and — if the bear continues to follow — yell, raise your arms, and throw items towards it.

 

If a bear attacks, fight back.

 

If a bear attacks or tries to make contact, fight for your life. Do not play dead. Kick, punch or hit the bear with whatever weapon is available. Concentrate on the face, eyes and nose.”, wrote the DNR.

 

“To summarize, study where you are going.”, Captain Graham ended with. “Prepare accordingly and ensure that someone knows you are departing to visit our State Parks.”

 

If someone wishes to learn more about San Andreas’ State Parks, then they can visit the San Andreas Park Rangers’ website at sapr.gov.org or attend one of the educational trips hosted by the Park Rangers. Information on these trips can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited by Los Santos Daily News
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