A helicopter was used to rescue three hikers in a La Quinta park on Friday morning.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to the mountains south of La Quinta Cove, where they found 23-year-old Alex Espinosa Natividad hanging onto a mountain ledge over a 1,000-foot drop. A sheriff’s department helicopter lifted him to safety. He was treated for minor cuts.

Natividad, of Indio, had separated from his hiking partners and began to climb the mountain; but rocks gave way.

His partners, 27-year-old Patrick La Point of Palm Desert and 26-year-old Maria Solares of La Quinta were also rescued by helicopter.

Police said none of the trio had the proper hiking equipment.

-- posted at 11:31 a.m. by Cathy Maestri; updated at 4:13 p.m.

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Friday, September 5, 2008

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