Man rescued from San Bernardino Mountains after SUV gets stuck in snow

A Mission Viejo man who tried to go off-roading in the San Bernardino Mountains needed to be rescued by helicopter Tuesday after his vehicle got stuck and then buried in deep snow, authorities said.

Brandon Henson, 31, drove his SUV into Cold Water Canyon in the area of Lytle Creek on Tuesday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

As he drove up the trail, his vehicle became disabled in deep snow as a storm moved through Southern California , bringing additional snow to the already snow-packed mountains.

“Henson attempted to dig his vehicle out of the snow but was unsuccessful, as approximately four feet of snow continued to fall in the area,” the department said in a news release. “Henson was unable to place a call for assistance as a result of poor cell reception in the area.”

Henson was able to send a text message to his girlfriend around 1 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said. She called 911 with very limited information about his location.

As deputies began their search, they quickly realized the heavy snowfall made it impossible to reach Hanson on the ground, so they called in a helicopter that located Hanson with his vehicle.

Despite the poor weather conditions, Henson was airlifted to safety with no injuries, the department said.

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