(KRON) -- A hiker said they were stalked by a mountain lion on the Boccardo Loop Trail in San Jose last week, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. The hiker was still two miles away from the trail head at Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve, and they called emergency officials for help . "The hiker reported that a mountain lion was stalking him while he was walking. With limited cell service and unable to safely continue, he remained in place ... until help could arrive," the sheriff's office wrote. Sheriff's deputies launched their helicopter, STAR 1, to assist the San Jose Police Department with finding a stranded hiker. The air rescue team spotted the hiker and landed the helicopter. Mountain lions avoid hikers on popular trails, new study finds With the rescue team, the hiker made it safely out of the preserve uninjured, SCCSO said. Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve, located in the eastern foothills of San Jose with nine miles of recreational trails, is home to mountain lions and bobcats, the preserve's website states. The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, which manages the preserve, disputed the sheriff's use of the term "stalking," telling KRON4, "the lack of other behaviors like crouching or following ... for any sustained period of time is suggestive of typical, and not aggressive, lion behavior." ...read more read less