On June 18, 2023, at about 2:43 PM, Kern County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Kern Valley Search and Rescue responded to a report of multiple people stuck in the river, needing rescue near Hobo Campground. Kern Valley SAR and China Lake Mountain Rescue Group responded and conducted a rescue. The four male subjects were on a small, inflatable raft in the river. Three were rescued, and one was stuck on a tree in the river. Teams constructed a technical rope system across the river after deploying personnel across the river. Three of the four victims were safely rescued from the river. One victim was still stranded. The Kern Valley Search and Rescue eventually recovered all stranded rafters and safely returned them to shore. All rafters were in good health and reunited with family.
