Hikers found dead on Mt. Baldy, authorities confirm
Authorities say three hikers on Mt. Baldy on Monday have been found dead.
In a news release, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said an air medic was hoisted down from a helicopter around 7:30 p.m. Monday, where they confirmed that three hikers were dead. Due to high winds, emergency crews were unable to complete a recovery operation and efforts remain ongoing.
While speaking to CBS LA, the department later confirmed that the hikers were not all part of the same group.
Authorities said that at about 11:30 a.m. Monday, crews with the Sheriff's Search and Rescue team and the Fontana Sheriff's Station responded to reports that a 19-year-old man was injured after falling about 500 feet near the Devil's Backbone trail.
A companion of the man traveled to an area with cell reception and provided their GPS location to rescue crews, authorities said. That companion was unharmed.
While searching for the 19-year-old, who was found dead, aerial crews located an additional two deceased hikers, but wind conditions made potential rescue operations unsafe. It's not clear how long the two additional hikers had been dead for, but their search began Monday morning.
All three bodies were recovered on Tuesday afternoon. They still have not been identified.
It's not yet clear what caused the hikers' deaths, and they've yet to be identified publicly.
During a news conference on Tuesday, SBSD Public Information Officer Jenny Smith stated that the Devil's Backbone trail is a challenging hiking route and is not recommended for inexperienced or novice hikers.
"It's almost an everyday occurrence to where we are up there rescuing people who need help who cannot get off of the mountain, Smith said.
No additional details were immediately made available.
Smith urged hikers to stay off of the trails during times of significant weather events, and said Mt. Baldy trails have been closed in the wake of the discovery.
Deputies said that there were two other helicopter hoist rescues on Tuesday, both of which were safely removed from the mountain.
