Two California teenage hikers, both 17, survive snowstorm by huddling together for warmth

Two teenage boys in southern California were stranded when a massive snowstorm hit during their hiking trip - and they were forced to huddle together for three days to survive.

Riley Ramirez and Cole White, both 17, were dropped off near the Pacific Crest Trail fir a 10-day hiking trip late last month - but the ordeal soon descended into chaos. 

The pair are seasoned hikers and had prepared for the lengthy trek with food, a tent, and snowshoes, when the unexpectedly severe storm hit.

'They knew there was weather. But I don't think they expected the amount,' said John Scalise, a San Bernardino county Sheriff's Department sergeant.

The parents of the two boys were last in contact with their sons on February 28, five days before they were rescued. 

Residents in San Bernardino Mountain brave long lines for food at Goodwin & Son's Market in Crestline, Calif., Friday, March 3, 2023, amidst a shortage caused by heavy snowfall

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Cesar Ramirez, Riley's father, had been tracking the boys through an app. When the lost track of them on the app, he got in touch with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which traced the hikers to their last known location.

The police found the boys, both of whom have military aspirations, on March 3. They had been on the Pacific Crest Trail, near San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest peak in southern California.

The rescue team found the boys slightly hypothermic and huddled together for warmth, according to the Associated Press. They battled temperatures in the low 30's and 40's for several nights.

They had spent three nights stranded on the mountain with a damaged tent. Ramirez had also lost his jacket to the wind.

They were flown by helicopter to the Morongo Basin sheriff's station, where they were given food, water, and medical treatment.

'During the five days they were hiking, they encountered four to five feet of snow drifts, limiting visibility and making it difficult to stay on the trail,' according to a release from the sheriff's department.

'Riley and Cole expressed how severe the weather conditions were and believed they would not have survived without assistance from the Sheriff's Department,' it continued.

Cesar Ramirez said his son was 'convinced' he was going to die in the snowstorm.

Some areas of SoCal got as much as 10 feet of snow and residents may have to wait up to a week to be dug out

A Crestline, California resident shovels snow after back-to-back storms dumped feet of snow in front of his house

Snowfall surrounds town streets and  businesses in Crestline, California

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The roof of a tire ship caved in due to massive amounts of snowfall

A crew of inmate firefighters walk back to their vehicle after shoveling and clearing snow after a series of winter storms in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California on March 3, 2023

On March 1, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for 13 counties in California following a huge snowstorm that hit southern California on February 25.

The massive snowfall blocked roads and trapped people inside their homes. California rescue workers struggled to dig out residents from as much as 10 feet of snow, following back-to-back storms.

Around 85,000 homes and business across Los Angeles lost power on Saturday. 

Authorities have been working to clear roads and distribute food, water and blankets to snow-battered residents. Some residents, authorities say, could be shut in for another week because of how much time and effort the clear out process is taking.