Woman airlifted to hospital after couple stranded in desert without water

15 June 2024 , 14:08

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The woman was suffering severe dehydration and was rushed to hospital when they were found (Image: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office)

A couple stranded in the middle of the Californian desert were rescued after running out of water.

Heartwarming images show the man lying over his dehydrated girlfriend to protect her from the sun as they hiked through the area south of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California, authorities said. The man was forced to phone 911 to report that his girlfriend had become dehydrated and weak, a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said.

On June 9 authorities dispatched a helicopter crew to assist the couple as the scorching heat passed the triple-digit mark. Authorities went to an area known as Painted Canyon where they found the couple huddled together in a dry creek bed, according to officials.

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A video posted online by the Sheriff’s Office shows the helicopter hovering above the couple lying on the desert floor, with the man trying to shield her with his body from the blazing sun and wind. The man and woman were then hoisted into the helicopter one by one, to escape the blazing southern California heat.

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Joshua Tree National Park, California, reached triple-digit temperatures last weekend (Getty Images)

The couple was flown to a landing zone where an aeromedical helicopter rushed the woman to a hospital “due to her severe condition,” according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit’s Rescue 9 post. The man was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, the sheriff’s office told SFGATE.

The deserts of Southern California are among the hottest areas in the state. On June 9, weather stations near the Painted Canyon area saw highs ranging from 100 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 to 40.6 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service. “Please remember as the temps increase, take more water than you think you will need, have a hiking plan, and tell two people where you are going,” the Sheriff’s Department said.

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It comes amid a spate of strange disappearances, including a British TV doctor, an American cop, and another American tourist, on Greek islands as temperatures soar into triple digits. Dr Michael Mosley was the first to disappear, before his corpse was found four days later having died of natural causes.

Celeb TV doctor Michael Mosley was found dead after a four-day manhunt on the Greek island of Symi in the scorching heat

59-year-old Eric Calibet, an American tourist, went missing on Tuesday after deciding to go out on a solo hike on the Greek island of Amorgos. According to Greek media, the retired police officer left the port settlement of Aegilali just after 7am. He is believed to have been heading to Katapola, the island's main port, around a four-hour hike from where he set off. But, he never returned and eight hours later a friend grew concerned and reported him missing.

A second US citizen has mysteriously disappeared on a Greek island, after being last seen at a tavern in Mathraki, situated on the western side of Corfu. The man had been staying with a friend of Greek-American descent, as reported by ABC news. Alarm bells were raised when he didn't return home on Thursday.

The causes of these disappearances are not clear. However, some have speculated that the scorching, dehydrating heat may have played a part.

Alex Croft