Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Arizona Man Rescued from California’s Los Padres National Forest

By Cindy Von Quednow, CNN

An Arizona man was rescued after spending several days stranded in the cold backcountry of California’s Los Padres National Forest, thanks to the dim light of his flashlight and the sharp eyes of a first responder who was rescuing another individual.

The 65-year-old motorist was rescued earlier this week, as reported by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in a news release on Friday.

On Tuesday, deputies at the sheriff’s station in Lockwood Valley received a distress call regarding a motorist who was trapped behind a winter gate in the Grande Valley area, as explained by the sheriff’s office in the news release. A deputy and a dispatcher promptly responded to the call and successfully freed the motorist from the closed area.

Upon learning that there were other vehicles behind the gate, the officials decided to conduct a search of the area.

“Approximately 10 miles away from the highway, the dispatcher noticed a faint light in the distance and alerted the deputy. They immediately drove towards the source and discovered a 65-year-old man, identified as Brent Lendriet from Phoenix, Arizona, holding a flashlight,” stated the news release.

Lendriet was found wearing soaked clothing and appeared malnourished, according to the officials. He informed the responders that he had driven his vehicle around the locked gate four days ago and had become stuck ever since.

The responders provided necessary medical attention to Lendriet and safely transported him out of the area to a secure location, as mentioned by the sheriff’s office. Eventually, he was escorted back to his vehicle, and with the assistance of the deputies, managed to get it back onto the highway.

“If it weren’t for the dispatcher’s sharp observation of the light, the individual might not have survived much longer with no access to food, water, and the forecasted below freezing temperatures,” the news release highlighted.

This rescue operation took place just days after California experienced severe storms, resulting in flooding and heavy snowfall.

Authorities took this opportunity to remind visitors that closed or locked gates are in place for their safety, and attempting to bypass them can potentially endanger lives.

.