The bodies of three hikers who disappeared after they jumped into the water at Rattlesnake Falls in Soda Springs, Calif., last week were found on Sunday, the authorities said, ending a multiday search that had been hampered by rough terrain and bad conditions.
The men, who had been hiking with three other people, jumped into the water on Wednesday, but did not resurface, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted online.
The three other hikers used a satellite phone to text 9-1-1 for help around 3 p.m. after the men did not reappear, Elise Soviar, the sheriff’s office communication manager, said on Monday.
The area, about 30 miles from Lake Tahoe, has a “challenging terrain” and is “located several miles in on a steep and difficult hiking trail,” the sheriff’s office said. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was used to evacuate the three remaining hikers on Wednesday evening.
Several agencies helped with the search for the men who had jumped in the water, including the sheriff’s office dive team, search and rescue units, and Cal Fire’s Technical Rescue Team.
The water in the region is “always cold and hazardous this time of year due to snowpack melt,” said Ms. Soviar from the sheriff’s office.
Rescue efforts were suspended on Thursday afternoon because debris and strong currents caused poor underwater visibility, the sheriff’s office said, noting that increasing winds had also made flying conditions unsafe.
The search efforts continued on Friday and Saturday but were limited because of the wind conditions, according to the sheriff’s office.
With the conditions improving Sunday, the office proceeded with a coordinated plan to return to the area where the men jumped and continued the search using enhanced equipment and support from search partners.
That morning, the authorities found the bodies of the three men.
The sheriff’s office identified the men on Monday as Matthew Schoenecker, 50, of Los Angeles; Valentino Creus, 59, also of Los Angeles; and Matthew Anthony, 44, of New York City.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” the sheriff’s office said.
It is hard to quantify how frequently hikers need to be rescued from this remote and isolated area, Ms. Soviar said, but she noted that this was the only rescue effort there in the past year.
Aimee Ortiz covers breaking news and other topics.
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