Missing Hikers Located In Eaton Canyon

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — Search and rescue teams Monday located a church group who went missing while hiking in the Eaton Canyon area.

Family members reported the group missing at 9:40 p.m. Sunday and a search was launched about 20 minutes later, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

According to officials, 15 people affiliated with 7th Day Adventist Church in Huntington Park left that morning to go canyoneering in an area that closed two months ago.

The group, which ranges in age from 15 to 36 years old, had climbing gear with them and planned to rappel down waterfalls in the canyon, which is very steep and rugged terrain.

The sheriff's department said the group was located around 9:15 a.m. Monday.

"They came with food, they came with water, they came with harnesses and everything. Unfortunately one of our members did get a minor injury and since it was becoming late what they decided to do was to stay the night," a hiker's sister Anajancy Armenta said. "They prepared a shelter, and they did well."

The rescue choppers took two trips to hoist the hikers to a triage location.