A Navy helicopter searching for a missing hiker crashed in California's White Mountains around 5 p.m. Friday, with the crew surviving overnight in rugged terrain before being rescued. A mission launched Friday evening to retrieve them ended in failure, but pilots were able to drop overnight kits to the survivors, the Navy said in a statement. The third attempt, at around 2 p.m. Saturday, succeeded in recovering all four survivors and the ground crew. Inyo National Forest announced Saturday that missing hiker Ronald Bolen had been found on Boundary Peak after being missing since mid-week, though it was unclear if Bolen was the hiker who was at the center of the Navy search and rescue operation. The helicopter will remain where it crashed until the investigation can conclude, after which it will be removed.

Source: Fox News July 18, 2021 13:07 UTC