Photos provided by Modoc County Sheriff’s Office
A 19-year-old man suffered life-threatening injuries after jumping off a cliff into a canyon at Pine Creek Reservoir, southwest of Alturas, early Saturday morning, authorities said. The initial alert call came from an individual who seeked medical attention for unrelated injuries who informed emergency personnel about Hunter, said Modoc County Sheriff Tex Dowdy.
The Modoc County Sheriff’s Department received a call at approximately 4 a.m. reporting that Steven Hunter had jumped from a cliff into the canyon. Deputies arrived at the scene at 4:41 a.m. and began searching for Hunter with assistance from the Alturas Rural Fire Department and Cal Fire. Some witnesses had come forward with additional information about where Hunter may be and this helped in the search for finding Hunter.
Witnesses reported that Hunter made statements about harming himself before jumping. Around 7:05 a.m., Cal Fire firefighters located Hunter at the bottom of the canyon with life-threatening injuries. “The victim was located in a steep, rocky drainage area,” Cal Fire stated. Authorities confirmed the jump was around 180 feet.
Once lifted, Hunter was transferred to an idling ambulance, which then transported him to an air ambulance. He was flown to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, where he is being treated for critical injuries.
Hunter is currently in critical condition. The case is under investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with additional information to contact the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office at 530-233-4416
