Rescue crews discovered the bodies of three hikers on Mount Baldy in Southern California on Monday evening, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The department received a call around 11:30 a.m. reporting that a hiker had tumbled 500 feet down a remote mountainside. The caller hiked to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to rescuers, according to the AP.
A helicopter crew spotted the injured hiker and two other people, but strong winds prevented the aircraft from landing, according to the sheriff’s department. A second landing attempt hours later was also unsuccessful because of the winds. A medic was eventually hoisted down from a helicopter and found three people dead around 7:30 p.m., the sheriff’s statement said.
The identities of the hikers have not been released as of Tuesday. The cause of the deaths wasn’t immediately known, according to the AP.
Southern California had been experiencing strong Santa Ana winds, with isolated gusts reaching 70 mph in some areas, the AP reported.
The deaths occurred in the wilderness near where actor Julian Sands died three years ago. Sands, who starred in “A Room With a View” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” was reported missing after setting off on a solo hike in January 2023. His body was found five months later, according to the AP.