Group of missing hikers found in Mendocino Woodlands area

Authorities searching via helicopter found a group of 14 missing hikers Wednesday evening in the Mendocino Woodlands State Park area, according to Cal Fire.

State parks officials notified Cal Fire of the missing group at about 6 p.m., and the hikers were found between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., fire officials said. The group of three adults and 11 children, apparently affiliated with a Mendocino County school, was located when a Cal Fire helicopter spotted smoke from a warming fire lit by the hikers, officials said.

The hikers became lost when they missed a turn on a trail and ended up in an area their group leader was unfamiliar with, said Capt. Eric Chisholm. The group leader was eventually able to communicate with officials via radio to give them a rough idea of where to look, Chisholm said.

The group had been in the Railroad Gulch area and was found by the Big River, said Cal Fire Capt. Jesse Torres.

Torres said everyone was safe and in good physical condition. In addition to state parks, the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department was also involved in the search efforts, he said.

You can reach Staff Writer J.D. Morris at 707-521-5337 or jd.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @thejdmorris.