CHP Air Unit Finds Lost Hiker Atop Montara Mountain

A hiker who was reported lost in the El Granada hills on Friday night was eventually found on top of Montara Mountain, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office reported yesterday.

Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Fung responded to a call after 8 p.m. from a man named Kevin McCarthy who said he had received a distressed phone call from Juan Jose Diaz. McCarthy reported that his friend said he was unaware of his whereabouts after hiking in the El Granada hills for four hours.

Units from the California Highway Patrol searched for Diaz on trails by foot and by car without success, then requested that the agency's air patrol join the effort, the Sheriff's Office reported.

County dispatch was able to determine Diaz's location through pinging his cell phone, according to the Sheriff's Office.

After Diaz was found atop Montara Mountain, the hiker was airlifted to the . He was then driven to Seton Medical Center in Daly City for a medical evaluation.

According to McCarthy, Diaz is a San Francisco resident.

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