[pct-l] Hiker rescued near Snow Creek/Fuller Ridge was NOT dehydrated

[Melissa Rexilius]

Hi all,
I had the pleasure of hanging out with Sarah, aka Quijote, now more appropriately named "Airlift" for a good 5 hours yesterday to help her get her eye glasses and trekking poles which were not allowed as loose items on the helicopter. She was not dehydrated, and she was not sick from altitude. She had food poisoning from a Mexican Food restaurant in Idyllwild. It's unfortunate that the Riverside Sheriff's Department has ran this story without knowing all the facts, and subsequently some people believing it up to another under-prepared or ill-equipped hiker, based on the report. She had plenty of water in her, it was the food. I feel like I need to stick up for this girl! She's still trying to keep food down 3 days later in Palm Springs. A dehydrated or altitude sick individual would have long ago recovered.

t.Rex