“They did Mount Wilson the weekend before,” Elyse Johnson told the newspaper. “And that was supposed to be the easiest one. My understanding is they all got halfway, and the other two felt like it was getting too difficult and decided to turn back. Eric and Gabrielle decided to keep going."<doc-sep>Eric Desplinter, 33, and Gabrielle Wallace, 31, haven't been seen since April 6. A search is intensifying for two Southern California hikers, who have been missing for days in the Mount Baldy area. Eric Desplinter, 33, and Gabrielle Wallace, 31, were last seen at about 10 a.m. Saturday and believed to be headed toward Cucamonga Peak, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Desplinter — an experienced hiker — and Wallace were supposed to return by 7 p.m., and when they still weren't back by 8 p.m., a friend notified authorities, said the sheriff's office. They are believed to have limited food and water, said the sheriff's office. Some local hikers have said conditions are icy and dangerous, reported ABC Los Angeles station KABC. Helicopters are involved in the search and rescue teams from the Los Angeles and San Diego areas are helping as well, authorities said. Deputies have found their car, authorities said. Desplinter, of Chino Hills, was last seen wearing a yellow jacket and green pants, authorities said. Wallace, of Rancho Cucamonga, was last seen wearing a gray sweater and jeans, authorities said. Anyone who may have seen Desplinter or Wallace is asked to call the sheriff's office at 909-387-8313.<doc-sep>Two missing hikers were found alive on Wednesday, ending a five-day search after the pair got lost on California’s Mount Baldy and were forced to ration food and filter dirty water to survive. Eric Desplinter, 33, and Gabrielle Wallace, 31, were reported missing Saturday night after they ventured into the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County that afternoon and failed to return that evening, ABC News reports. A desperate search ensued, and authorities said two sets of footprints in Cucamonga Canyon ultimately led them to the pair. Get push notifications with news, features and more. “We rationed our food, drank water through a LifeStraw, and kept as warm as possible,” Desplinter told reporters after the rescue, detailing how he and Wallace got lost, according to KABC. “We just lost the trail and had a little bit of a slip going to the peak of Cucamonga peak and decided we wouldn’t go back up the ice and snow, so we tried to descend through a valley. But that valley was more treacherous than we thought.” Search teams combed 19,000 acres looking for Wallace and Desplinter, and rescue efforts began after authorities spotted the footprints and followed them, KABC reported. Soon, authorities flew over the area in a helicopter and an aviation crew spotted Wallace and Desplinter along with a campfire. “We’re very grateful to be found tonight,” Desplinter said, according to KABC. “I’m ready to get to bed and get some rest.” Once found, the hikers were flown to a nearby fire station and reunited with their families, according to KNBC. “We just can’t wait to see them and hug them and hold them,” Karen Ziebarth, Desplinter’s mother, told KNBC. “We brought blankets in the car and we just want to huddle them up because this is the first night that they won’t have to be cold.” According to WHO-DT, Wallace and Desplinter were on the mountain with two coworkers training for a hike to take place at the end of April. During the training hike, the coworkers headed back down the mountain but Desplinter and Wallace decided to continue on. Authorities praised the search-and-rescue teams that helped the pair return home safely.<doc-sep>Two missing hikers who spent nearly five days lost in the California wilderness have been found alive after rescuers followed their footprints, authorities said. Eric Desplinter, 33, and Gabrielle Wallace, 31, were located at a campfire late Wednesday on Mount Baldy in San Bernadino County, the sheriff’s office said. The pair set off on the expedition Saturday in the San Gabriel Mountains, and friends reported them missing when they didn’t return that evening, according to officials. Desplinter said they lost their way on a trail, then attempted to descend through a valley, which was “more treacherous” than they expected, news station KABC reported. Searching for the hikers, authorities uncovered two sets of footprints Wednesday in Cucamonga Canyon and followed them. Rescue crews using helicopters were alerted, then flew over the area and spotted the pair, officials said. The duo said they were running low on supplies when they were airlifted to safety. They rationed food and used a LifeStraw device to filter water, according to KABC. “We’re very grateful to be found tonight,” Desplinter told the news station. “I’m ready to get to bed and get some rest.” San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon thanked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and volunteers for assisting in the search. “Volunteers are a real blessing to our agencies, providing thousands of hours giving back to make our communities better and stronger,” McMahon said in a statement. “This is a perfect example of their commitment.”<doc-sep>
Two hikers missing for five days on California's Mount Baldy have been found alive after rescuers tracked their footprints to their camp, according to authorities. Eric Desplinter and Gabrielle Wallace had gone hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, on Saturday and were expected to return that night. But when the two hadn't returned by 8 p.m., friends reported the two missing. The San Bernardino County Sheriff said late Wednesday the two had been rescued after days of desperate searching. Authorities said rescuers found two sets of footprints in Cucamonga Canyon Wednesday at which point they alerted a search-and-rescue helicopter to fly over the area. The helicopter spotted Desplinter, 33, and Wallace, 31, at a campfire and lifted them to safety late Wednesday. "We're very grateful to be found tonight. I'm ready to get to bed and get some rest," Desplinter told Los Angeles ABC station KABC. The pair apparently lost the trail and when they tried to descend through a valley, it "was more treacherous than we thought," Desplinter said. "Best possible outcome we’ve been hoping for!" San Bernardino County Sgt. Jeff Allison tweeted. "Thank you to all of the Search and Rescue volunteers, aviation units, and our assisting agency partners. Training, hard work, and perseverance paid [off]." Desplinter was an experienced hiker, but authorities previously said the two had limited supplies of food and water. The two rationed food and drank water through a LifeStraw, which can filter dirty water. Search teams had previously found their car at the bottom of the mountain. "Eric and Gabrielle will be flown to the Mt. Baldy Fire Station where they will be reunited with their families and loved ones, then evaluated by paramedics to determine if they need further treatment at a local hospital," the sheriff's office said in a statement. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office also assisted in the search, which covered 30 square miles over parts of five days. San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon also thanked volunteers for their help in locating the missing pair. ABC News' Marilyn Heck and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.