06 March 2023 , 23:24
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Teenagers who became stranded in a freak California snowstorm said they huddled together to survive.
Riley Ramirez, of Cyprus, California, and Cole White, of Portland, Oregon, both 17, were on a 10-day trek when they became stranded and cut off from help on the Pacific Crest Trail near the San Gorgonio Mountains.
Freak winter weather sweeping through the state dumped snow over the mountains, leaving Riley and Cole desperate and fearing for their lives.
Riley had also lost his jacket in the severe wind and their tent had broken - with the boys later telling how they were "convinced they were going to die".
The boys told how their only hope was to share warmth and huddle together for three days.
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The sheriff’s office launched a helicopter to the teens’ last known location on the trail and eventually located them in heavy snow
Ramirez’s father, Cesar Ramirez, called the sheriff’s office for help when the boys became uncontactable.
He said: “They’ve told us, ‘We were already convinced we were going to die’.
Cesar Ramirez described the teens as acid hikers who were well-supplied for their trek with food, a tent and snowshoes.
The boys told how their only hope was to share warmth and huddle together for three days (Inyo County Sheriff's Office)He said they had extensive training and aspired to join the military.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Scalise said the boys were hypothermic and lucky to be alive after huddling together for three nights to stay warm.
He said they were well-prepared for the hike but not for the massive amounts of snowpter to the teens’ last known location on the trail and eventually located them in heavy snow.
“They knew there was weather. But I don’t think they expected the amount,” he said.
It comes after Los Angeles was been hit by its first snow blizzard warning in over 30 years with winter storms on their way.
Parts of the usually sun-drenched southern California were issued with the alert as the region braces for gales and freezing temperatures sweeping south.
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The Hollywood sign in Los Angeles is covered in snow (Ringo Chiu/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)The US National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for the region including Los Angeles - the first since 1989.
Forecasters are predicting snowfall of up to 8ft (2.4m) to the east of the city by Saturday.
The weather is expected to get so bad evacuation warnings have been issued in parts of Ventura County, just north of Los Angeles until 10am on Saturday, as officials warned of possible flooding and debris flows.
Last Thursday, schools in the state's far north closed over weather conditions.
Jeff Napier, an official with the Del Norte County Schools District, said: "This is the first snow day we have had in the 31 years I have been with the district."
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said: “This well may be the largest single-event snowfall in some parts of Southern California since the 1980s.
“This is a big deal.”
Local residents attempt to stop a car from sliding down an icy road during a snow storm in Rancho Cucamonga, California (AFP via Getty Images)He added: “What is really kind of astonishing are the snow totals that are projected for the Southern California mountains and the southern Sierra Nevada."
The snow may even come as low as the famed Hollywood sign above Los Angeles.
This comes as storms sweep south along the US West Coast.
Portland, Oregon, saw nearly 11in (28cm) of snow Wednesday night, the second snowiest on record.
Officials in the state are investigating whether a suspected hypothermia death is related to the storm.