Release Date: August 13, 2013

Contact: Jennie Kish Albrinck, 760-367-5520

At approximately 2 pm on August 11, 2013, Joshua Tree National Park was notified that a hiker was caught between two rocks at the Quail Springs picnic area. Quail Springs is a popular day hiking area used by visitors year-round.

Responding park rangers and a Joshua Tree Search and Rescue (JOSAR) volunteer found a 37-year old man from Los Angeles wedged between two large boulders. He explained that he had scrambled down from the top of one boulder and became positioned so that he could not ascend or descend safely.

The rescue team set up a lowering system. The JOSAR volunteer was lowered to the subject, attached him to the rope, and lowered him to the ground. No injury resulted from this incident.

Park visitors are advised to use caution when exploring the desert. Appropriate gear, protective clothing and sunscreen, and adquate water are essential for hiking and rock scrambling safely.