Helicopter Crews Join Search for Missing Hikers on Mt. Baldy
Helicopter crews scoured Mt. Baldy for three missing hikers after a winter storm swept the peak; all three were later found dead.
A RACE AGAINST TIME IN THE SAN GABRIELS
At first light Saturday, the thump of rotor blades echoed across the snow-dusted ridges of Mt. Baldy as helicopter crews from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department launched a desperate search for three overdue hikers. By dusk, the mission had shifted from rescue to recovery.
THE CALL THAT CAME TOO LATE
Family members alerted authorities Friday evening after the trio—19-year-old Daniel Kim of West Covina and two friends in their early twenties—failed to return from a day hike on the popular Icehouse Canyon trail. Temperatures on the 10,064-foot peak had plummeted into the teens overnight, and 60-mph gusts scoured the slopes.
“They were experienced, but the mountain doesn’t grade on a curve,” said Sgt. Ava Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s Aviation & Rescue unit. “One wrong turn above the cloud layer and everything changes in a heartbeat.”
FROM HOPE TO HEARTBREAK
A Sheriff’s helicopter equipped with infrared cameras spotted footprints near the Devil’s Backbone ridge shortly after 7 a.m. Ground teams followed the tracks through waist-deep drifts until they discovered the first body tucked against a boulder field at 9,200 feet. Two more victims were located within a quarter-mile, none equipped for the sub-freezing conditions.
- No emergency beacon was activated.
- All three were wearing light fleece and running shoes.
- Weather forecasts had warned of an incoming storm 24 hours earlier.
‘A SCENE WE’VE SEEN TOO OFTEN’
Mt. Baldy averages five fatalities a year, but this season’s snowfall has been 40 % above normal, hiding crevices and turning well-marked trails into slick chutes of ice. Local climbing guides say social-media posts showcasing “sunset selfies” from the summit have lured unprepared visitors into the backcountry.
“People see the peak from the 210 Freeway and think it’s a walk in the park,” said veteran guide Ramona Flores. “They don’t realize the weather at the trailhead can feel like June while the summit is January.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The county coroner has scheduled autopsies for Monday to determine whether hypothermia, traumatic injury or a combination proved fatal. Meanwhile, the sheriff’s department is weighing whether to require winter permits for the trail—a measure already adopted on Mt. Whitney.
For Daniel Kim’s family, the questions are more personal. “He texted us a photo at sunrise,” his sister told reporters, voice cracking. “He said, ‘Wish you were here.’ We just want him back.”