GPS allows authorities to locate lost hiker

A Simi Valley woman who went missing while hiking in the hills above the city was brought home safely by police officers thanks to satellite and cellphone technology.

Tereza Kristall, 45, had last been seen by her 14-year-old son at 2:45 p.m. last Fri., Nov. 13 at their home. The son called a neighbor that evening because his mother had not returned home.

Kristall, who is deaf, had sent her son a text message saying she was on an unknown hillside and getting very cold, according to a police report.

Police dispatchers were able to contact Kristall on her cellphone and used Global Positioning System technology to pinpoint her location.

Dispatchers were able to direct officers to the hills northeast of Yosemite Avenue and Flannigan Drive, and in less than 15 minutes officers found Kristall a short distance off a hiking trail on the hillside.

Kristall was taken to Simi Valley Hospital for treatment of minor hypothermia and abrasions sustained in a fall. Officers said it wasn’t clear how long she had been hiking or when she became lost.

The Simi Valley Police Department reminds hikers to hike with someone else if possible, be aware of physical limitations, dress appropriately and carry plenty of water and a first aid kit as well as a cellphone.

It’s also recommended that hikers provide a written route or inform family members of their plans and estimated time of arrival home.