Wrightwood

Snowboarder shares story of survival after getting lost in Wrightwood

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A snowboarder braved the elements in Wrightwood for 48 hours after he got lost amid frigid temperatures. Christian Cazares reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

A snowboarder who was lost for two days in Wrightwood’s snowy mountains recalls how he survived the frigid conditions.  

What started as a day trip for Malachi Garcia turned into a fight against the elements as he relied on his survival skills to stay alive during the roughly 48 hours he spent outdoors in frigid temperatures. He said he got separated from his group while snowboarding and realized something was wrong when the terrain changed.

“I said in my head, ‘OK, I’m in the back of the hill. I’m not going to climb back up,’” he recalled.

Thanks to his hobbies in the outdoors, he was able to put his survival skills to use to refrain from succumbing to the cold.

“I just kept moving so as I’m moving, my body is staying hot,” he said. “Also, I had snow in my gloves. I would take them off and blow on my hands, warm them up.”

Garcia also added that he stayed hydrated by drinking water from a stream he came across. A walking path in the snow helped search and rescue crews find him Tuesday morning.

“He didn’t have injuries or complaints,” sheriff’s deputy Rob Springer said. “He was probably about 4-and-a-half miles from where he went out of bounce and he came down about 2,500 feet in elevation.”

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Following the experience, Garcia said he’s grateful to be alive, recovering and reunited with his loved ones.

“I’m thankful he is alive and home,” Gina Garcia, Malachi’s mother, said. “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster.”

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