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Missing Hiker Found Safe Near Santa Clarita

SANTA CLARITA (CBSLA.com) — A missing hiker was rescued by a helicopter crew Tuesday in the Towsley Canyon area near Santa Clarita.

Brian Napoli, 24, called friends just before 5 p.m. Monday to tell them he got lost on a hiking trail near Santa Clarita while taking pictures for a class, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

A search was launched and about a dozen people looked for Napoli until just after 1 a.m. Tuesday.

"It started getting dark and there was a pack of coyotes, so I ran up that ridge there. I saw the helicopter overnight and I said I'm not going to move because you are probably mapping while you are looking," he said.

The search resumed at daybreak and Napoli was located just before 10 a.m. after rescuers heard him calling.

Napoli, who is a certified paramedic, was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated after he told authorities he slipped and hit his head during the ordeal.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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