Three hikers found, two still missing in Mt. Whitney area

Three hikers that had gone missing on Monday on Mount Whitney were found today according to a press release from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Two other hikers from a separate group, however, remain missing.

Three men from Omaha, Neb. were rescued from Mount Whitney around noon on Oct. 21. Phillip Michael Abraham, 34; Stevan James Filips, 43; and Dale Clymens, 45 were part of a group that had originally planned a day hike to Mount Whitney on Oct. 18, but had been trapped in the Mount Whitney Hut in a snowstorm. According to an article in the Omaha World Herald, the men “were among a group of 10 friends who had been training for trips like this and call themselves the Landmark Group Endurance Team. This trip took them to both the lowest and highest points in the continental U.S. – bicycling across Death Valley Saturday and Sunday and then ascending the peak of Mt. Whitney on Monday.”

Three National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue personnel hiked in to the site. Both the NPS staff and a California National Guard helicopter reached the men at approximately the same time. All three men were able to walk and move around during a quick general health assessment by park personnel. Various parties assisted with this search and rescue operation, including California National Guard and Yosemite Search and Rescue.

According to the Omaha World Herald, the three Omaha hikers had plenty of food to sustain them, but needed to melt snow for water. They sent text messages to loved ones but had no idea if the messages had gone through.

All three men are in good condition, according to reports. Abraham had to be treated for dehydration at a local hospital, but has since been released.

Inyo County Sheriff’s Department and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are continuing a multi-faceted search and rescue operation for the two additional hikers, a father and son, who were not part of the previously missing group, but had planned a three-day, 36-mile cross-country loop in/around the Mount Whitney area starting and ending at the Whitney Portal. The group planned to return on Oct. 19. The missing men are Sinh Baghsohi, 27, approximately 6’5” tall and 287 lbs, as well as his father, Baghsohi, Sr., first name unknown, who is approximately 6’ tall and weighs approximately 180 lbs. No photos of the men are available yet. The two men had hiked in with a friend, but the friend became ill and hiked out alone. If you have seen or come in contact with either of the two missing individuals, please call the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Incident Command Post at 559.565.3117.

Approximately 45 people have been assigned to the two search and rescue incidents. Search operations are still being hampered by snow with accumulations between 1-3 feet. –NPS/Omaha World Herald