A teen has died after a fall while hiking on Mt. Baldy, and two other hikers were found dead nearby amid harsh weather conditions that have prevented authorities from recovering their bodies, officials said Tuesday.
On Monday, Dec. 29 at about 11:30 a.m., rescuers with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and the Fontana Sheriff’s Station responded to a request to find an injured 19-year-old hiker who reportedly had fallen roughly 500 feet near Devil’s Backbone, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
Mt. Baldy has been closed through Wednesday, Dec. 31, after the discovery of the three bodies as well as a rescue of two other hikers on Monday.
The 19-year-old man’s friend hiked to an area with cell service and provided GPS coordinates to rescuers, said Gloria Orejel, a department spokeswoman.
During an aerial search, deputies located the injured hiker and the other pair of male hikers nearby. But powerful Santa Ana winds made it unsafe to land the rescue helicopter, officials said.
At about 7:30 p.m. Monday, an airship from Los Angeles County assisted in the effort. Strong winds again prevented a hoist operation; however, an air medic was hoisted down and confirmed all three individuals were deceased.
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Orejel didn’t know yet the ages of the two other people discovered near the fallen hiker, but authorities don’t believe the pair knew the 19-year-old. The other two hikers were not previously reported missing, and officials didn’t know how long their bodies were in the area, Orejel said.
A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Air Rescue team also found and hoisted two hikers, one of whom fell about 100 feet and was injured near Ontario Peak Trail Monday. The hikers, an 18-year-old man from Riverside County and a 31-year-old man from San Bernardino County, called 911 around 1:44 p.m.
The rescue was unrelated to the three bodies found near Devil’s Backbone Trail.
“Usually when we get inclement weather up there, it does tend to get dangerous, even for the skilled hiker,” Orejel said. “We’re always urging everyone, whether they’re skilled or not, not to go up there.”
The U.S. Forest Service closed portions of Mt. Baldy and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday to reduce risks for visitors and protect natural resources. Any violations of closure signs or directions from Forest Service personnel may result in a fine of $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, up to six months imprisonment or both.
“Weather and terrain conditions remain extremely dangerous and unpredictable, posing a significant risk to both the public and Search and Rescue personnel,” San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement. “The temporary closure of Mt. Baldy trails is necessary to prevent additional emergencies and protect lives.”
Both novice and skilled hikers have died trying to hike Mt. Baldy, particularly during winter when powdery snow, ice and steep terrain combine to create dangerous conditions. Search-and-rescue teams are often kept busy throughout the winter season, when typically inexperienced hikers become stranded, injured and sometimes die on the mountain’s steep and icy terrain.
Mt. Baldy’s terrain is similar to that of Big Bear and Mt. San Gorgonio, experts say, but it attracts more people, including inexperienced hikers, because it’s closer to Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
“Unfortunately, Baldy claims two or three lives a year, and that’s where we’re at.” Eric Vetere, commander of the sheriff’s West Valley Search and Rescue Team, told the Southern California News Group in 2024.
In February 2024 alone, San Bernardino and Los Angeles county search-and-rescue teams helped at least 10 hikers who became stranded on Mt. Baldy. That Valentine’s Day, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Air Rescue 5 team hoisted six stranded hikers from the summit on Bear Canyon Trail.
Three days earlier, teams recovered 22-year-old Ada “Lifei” Huang’s body, more than a week after she was reported missing while hiking Baldy Bowl Trail. A San Bernardino County air rescue team also found and rescued a 46-year-old hiker who became stranded in the Baldy Bowl on steep terrain that same day.
Reporters Andrea Klick and Joe Nelson contributed to this story