Sisters Stranded In Tehachapi Mountains Thought They Were 'Going to Die'

NEWHALL (CBSLA.com) — Two sisters from West Hills who were stranded Tuesday night in below-freezing temperatures in the Tehachapi Mountains thought they were going to die.

Allison Fitzmorris, 21, and her 16-year-old sister, Ariel, got lost in a rugged ravine in the area of Pine Mountain Club near Frazier Park after they decided to go on a hike.

Although the sisters are experienced hikers, Allison said they weren't ready for the cold and snowy conditions once the sun set.

"I've never been snow hiking before, so that was a little different. We took some precautions. We put plastic bags around our socks to keep them dry, but we weren't prepared for anything long," she said.

Allison spent the night huddled with her sister to keep warm and awake.

"We didn't really know at that point what was going to happen. And that was when I started thinking that we were probably going to die. We didn't think we were going to make it out of there," said Allison.

Family members, though, had reported the girls missing when they didn't return home by 8 p.m. that night.

On Wednesday morning, Allison heard a helicopter and knew help was on the way.

"We didn't think we'd get out of it until that moment and then we're like, 'We are going to be saved. No matter how long it takes, they're gonna get us out of here,'" said Allison.

Ariel and Allison were taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

Allison said she still has tingling in her fingers and toes, but will be okay.

Doctors, however, continue to keep an eye on her younger sister.

"Her blood was very acidic afterwards from going down into a sort of survival metabolism. They said they wanted to monitor her overnight," said Allison.

The 21-year-old said she'll hike again with Ariel, but they will be more prepared next time.

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