Canoga Park Hiker Found After 3 Days
A Canoga Park man who got lost on a solo hike was rescued from Angeles National Forest after surviving three days in chilly weather on bananas and a peanut butter sandwich, authorities said Wednesday.
Mervyn Delmonte, 56, was found by a hiker near Sturtevant Falls about 5 p.m. Tuesday, three days after he lost his way on a three-hour walk from the Mt. Wilson summit, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Alma Espinoza said.
Delmonte, who was recovering from minor injuries at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, said he had intended to hike to a camp near Sturtevant Falls to surprise a friend. After a few miles, however, the trail ended and he tried to find a riverbed to follow to other camps.
Climbing down a sheer rock face, he slipped and fell about 20 feet, cutting his head and hurting his legs. For the next three days, he moved slowly along a riverbed munching on bananas and a peanut butter sandwich until another hiker found him Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m not afraid of dying,” Delmonte said after his rescue. “But it was scary to think I might die out there all alone.”
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