Hiker Rescued After Call on Cell Phone

It was a cliffhanger that could have ended in tragedy.

But Edward D’Agostino had a cellular phone.

On a steep hillside in Los Padres National Forest, D’Agostino, a 47-year-old Santa Paula man, clung to a lone bush Sunday morning. Below, he faced a chasm more than 1,000 feet deep. Above, 200 feet of loose shale, too slippery to walk on, separated him from a trail.

So D’Agostino reached for his cell phone and dialed 911.

Within 25 minutes, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department responded with air and ground units.

With a helicopter hovering 75 feet overhead, a crewman was lowered to rescue D’Agostino, officials said. The two were hoisted back to safety.

D’Agostino got in trouble early Sunday on Hopper Mountain about five miles north of Fillmore when he was looking for a model airplane. D’Agostino had lost the airplane the day before and returned to look for it, said Deputy Tim Hagel, who responded to the scene.

When he walked below the trail, D’Agostino lost his footing and slid about 50 feet, Hagel said. He realized any attempts to climb up the cliff could result in a fatal fall.

“He was smart to realize he was in over his head,” Hagel said. “If he had lost it, he would have rolled and tumbled at least 1,000 feet.”

Hagel said hikers are taking cellular phones into the wilderness in increasing numbers.

“It’s a good idea,” he said. “In two years, cell phone rescues have probably tripled.”

D’Agostino, who suffered only minor bruises and scrapes, was flown to a hilltop where he was treated by paramedics and released.