8 hikers rescued during Sedona snowstorm

SEDONA, AZ (AZFamily) — Snowfall in the High Country covered a popular trail, leaving eight hikers stranded earlier this week in Sedona.

Around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, search and rescue teams with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office were called to find lost hikers near the Devil’s Bridge trail, a popular site frequented by hikers worldwide.

The 911 caller reported she was with her four kids on the trail, but her daughter had wandered off without a cell phone. The woman reported she didn’t know where her daughter was.

Deputies say the group could not find the path to return to their vehicle after snowfall covered the trail. The daughter was able to make it back to the trail to meet rescue crews but could not contact the rest of her family.

As deputies searched for the family, they received another 911 call from a different group of hikers, stating they were lost. The caller believed that the two lost groups were together due to the snowy conditions.

After speaking with both callers, crews found that eight people in total were lost and needed to be rescued.

Deputies and dispatchers were able to get close coordinates of the lost groups so rescue crews could hike to their location. All of the lost hikers stayed in one spot until 14 rescuers arrived.

After a brief search, volunteers found the eight people cold and wet, but uninjured.

Everyone was able to safely get back to the trail around 8 p.m.

“Once again the YCSO Search and Rescue teams prove how incredibly important they are to the community. YCSO sends a huge thank you to all of the volunteers who are called out in every rescue,” Sheriff David Rhodes said in a statement.

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