Search and rescue crews helping residents stranded by snow in Mariposa County

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Search and rescue calls continued on Friday in the high-elevation communities of Mariposa County, some of which are still under four feet of snow.

Over the last few days, Sheriff Jeremy Briese says more than 700 calls for service have come in-ranging from people stuck in their homes to medical emergencies.

The demand in calls has forced authorities to vet each situation, prioritizing the ones that pose a risk to life.

"There is an active search and rescue going on as you and I speak and the individual is having medical issues, severe medical issues," said Sheriff Briese. "And they are hiking approximately a mile through four feet of snow."

This crew is responding to a person experiencing a heart-related medical emergency on Triangle Road.

Most of the Search and Rescue team are unpaid community members with a hunger to help.

Volunteers will have to carry out the patient through deep snow to get them to an ambulance.

Crews trekked through two miles of snow to get to a man who was trapped. He couldn't open the door to his home because it was entirely blocked by feet of snow.

Mariposa County Supervisor Danette Toso says the small but mighty Public Works team has been quick to get main roads plowed and clear of trees and power lines with the help of community members who used their own equipment and tools.

"That is what we do here. there is always other ways to do things and we just get it done," said Toso.

Many in Mariposa County are still in the dark.

Power outages went from 2500 residences Thursday to 1,400 residences by Friday morning.

"One of the things we are worried about is the outages on the PG&E map. There is some extended restoration times so we are trying to figure out how to provide service for those people," said West Smith, Emergency Services Coordinator.

At Mariposa County's Office of Emergency Services, they are still responding to people impacted by the last storm while they plan for an incoming storm this weekend.

The storm is forecasted to bring another two feet of snow to higher elevations.

Toso says this community has been through tough times before and they'll get through it again.

"It's been unbelievable the disasters that we have been through. and we just keep coming out on top," said Toso.

There are parts of this county that have had power out since Tuesday.

Restoration has been pushed back to Saturday night.

For news updates, follow Alyssa Flores on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.