Rescue crew finds 3 hikers dead in Southern California mountains during strong winds

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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — Rescue crews responding during high winds to a report of an injured hiker who fell down a slope near a Southern California mountain trail found the man and two of his companions dead, authorities said.

The three bodies were discovered Monday evening along the Devil's Backbone Trail at Mount Baldy, which rises more than 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) east of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The department said it received a call around 11:30 a.m. Monday from someone reporting that their 19-year-old friend had tumbled 500 feet (150 meters) down a remote mountainside. The caller had hiked to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to rescuers.

A helicopter crew spotted the injured hiker and two other people but strong winds prevented the aircraft from landing. A second landing attempt hours later was also unsuccessful because of winds.

A medic was eventually hoisted down from a helicopter and found all three people dead around 7:30 p.m., the sheriff's statement said. Their identities were not released as of Tuesday and the cause of the deaths wasn't immediately known.

Southern California had been buffeted by strong Santa Ana winds, with isolated gusts reaching 70 mph (112 kph) in some areas.

The deaths occurred in 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.