Authorities have confirmed the identities of all three hikers found dead on Mt. Baldy on Monday following a winter snowstorm that covered the San Gabriel Mountains.
The two unidentified hikers were Juan Sarat Lopez, 37, and Bayron Pedro Ramos Garcia, 36, both Guatemalan nationals living in Los Angeles, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
On Wednesday, one hiker was identified as 19-year-old Marcus Muench Casanova of Seal Beach, who authorities say fell about 500 feet on Monday while hiking Devil’s Backbone, a sharp ridge with steep drops on both sides.
Investigators say Casanova was not hiking with the pair; however, rescue efforts launched Monday morning for the teen led the helicopter crew to the other two hikers on the mountainside. High winds limited rescue operations Monday morning. In the evening, an airship lowered in a medic who confirmed all three deaths.
The bodies were recovered Tuesday afternoon.
“This heartbreaking incident is yet another reminder of the extreme dangers posed by the mountain during winter weather and the urgent need for stronger preventative measures,” San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe said in a statement.
The incident has renewed calls from elected officials for the U.S. Forest Service to close its trails during hazardous conditions, especially as Mt. Baldy is considered to be one of the nation’s deadliest peaks, even for experienced mountaineers.
The climb to the top of Mt. Baldy — which reaches 10,064 ft — is particularly dangerous during winter’s snowy conditions, especially on the challenging Devil’s Backbone Trail, which can expose hikers to heavy wind conditions.
“It basically becomes a giant ice cliff,” said Kyle Fordham, an experienced 36-year-old hiker who has done the hike twice in snowy conditions. “If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can very easily die on it.”
There have been more than 100 rescues on the popular summit since 2020.
The Forest Service is evaluating ways to improve safety for visitors in the coming months, a spokesperson said in a statement.
“Even in popular and frequently visited areas, conditions can change quickly — particularly during winter weather — and can present serious, sometimes unpredictable hazards to visitors,” they said in a statement. The agency is also urging visitors to understand their personal limits, prepare and check conditions before heading into the mountains.
Times staff writers Alex Wigglesworth, Itzel Luna and Gavin J. Quinton contributed to this report.
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