Authorities say three hikers were found dead on California’s Mount Baldy following an earlier report that one of them had fallen roughly 500 feet.
According to a media advisory from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, officials responded to a request for assistance on Monday, Dec. 29, around 11:30 a.m. local time, after receiving reports of an injured 19-year-old male hiker near the Devils Backbone area.
“The hiker reportedly fell approximately 500 feet,” the sheriff’s department said. “His friend and hiking companion traveled to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to assist rescuers.”
Search-and-rescue ground teams were deployed, and a rescue helicopter was dispatched to the area. During the aerial search, crews located the injured hiker along with two other individuals nearby.
Severe wind conditions prevented the helicopter from safely reaching the group, and authorities did not release the identities of the three individuals.
Later in the evening, around 7:30 p.m., a Los Angeles County airship assisted with the search. While a hoist rescue was attempted, heavy winds forced officials to abandon the operation. An air medic was lowered to the site and confirmed that all three hikers had died.
Unfavorable weather conditions again halted further recovery efforts, the sheriff’s department said. A formal recovery operation is now underway, though no additional details have been released.
Also known as Mount San Antonio, Mount Baldy rises to an elevation of 10,046 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains. Despite its proximity to urban areas, the mountain is considered one of the most dangerous peaks in the United States by experienced climbers, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
The newspaper has reported that since 2020, more than 100 search operations have taken place on Mount Baldy, resulting in at least 14 confirmed deaths. Among those was British actor Julian Sands, who went missing while hiking the mountain in January 2023. His remains were discovered approximately six months later after an extensive search.
