David Griffith was last seen at 1500 hours near the summit of Mt. Baldy. A hiking partner took a short break to take an extra clothing layer out of his pack, while Mr. Griffith continued down the trail with plans to return via the Sierra Club Hut. The partner finished the hike without finding Mr. Griffith.
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West Valley SAR was called the evening of December 13 to begin the search. Additional winter/alpine certified searchers were requested later that evening with teams spending the night out searching. On the morning of December 14, Sheriff's Aviation and a SAR member with a spotting scope located Mr. Griffith on the side of Goode Canyon. He was hoisted by the air crew and returned safely to Cow Canyon Saddle. Members from West Valley SAR, San Gorgonio SAR, SB Mountain SAR, Bear Valley SAR, the Cave & Technical Rescue Team, Victor Valley SAR, and Wrightwood SAR participated in the mission.