Video captures the moment a San Diego man and his daughters learn they will be rescued after being stranded for days near Baja California's highest peak.
Morgan Fox, 61, and his daughters, Maura, 20, and Claire, 25, of San Diego were found Tuesday in very steep, rocky terrain near the summit of Picacho del Diablo, also known as “The Devil’s Peak.”
Search and rescue team member Victor Lopez was recording video Wednesday when his team approached the hikers who were bundled in coats and very emotional at the sight of the rescue team.
Lopez and his team climbed to the area where Fox and his daughters were spotted by a Mexican navy helicopter. The hikers were crying but flashing big smiles at the sight of the ground team.
"Hola, hola," the women can be heard saying.
"Me da gusto que hablen español," the rescuer said.
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The trio left San Diego on Tuesday, June 20. They were expected to hike to the summit on Friday and return home Sunday evening. When they didn’t, Fox’s wife contacted the authorities in Mexico.
A search was organized Monday afternoon. By Tuesday morning, Mexican authorities had 10 people searching along the remote trail.
A helicopter spotted the trio in a steep canyon and dropped six liters of water to them.
The rescue proved to be more difficult than many may have thought.
A family friend told NBC 7 Fox lives with diabetes and needs insulin to control the condition.
Search and rescue crews also delivered food, water, a glucose meter and radio communications from the air because it was not safe to land.
The trio has hiked before in the San Pedro Mártir Park. Pichaco del Diablo is the highest peak in Baja, at over 10,000 feet. The Devil’s Peak is a challenging trail located more than a day’s drive south of Tijuana and the U.S.-Mexico border.
