A tragic situation unfolded in rugged terrain of Southern California over the weekend, after a hiker died while searching for friends who had gotten lost on the trail.

According to a report from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the situation unfolded near the town of Anza, with deputies responding to the 56000 block of East State Highway 74 (Pines to Palms Highway) at about 8:26 p.m. on January 17. This address is located about 1.5 miles north of Lake Hemet.

Deputies were responding to a missing hiker report, with the caller stating that four people in their group had left for a hike earlier that morning and had not yet returned. Meanwhile, another person in the caller’s party left to search for them, believing they four might be in trouble.

The sheriff’s office aviation unit along with the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit responded, with the aviation unit soon able to find the group of four missing hikers, successfully hoisting them to safety.

The search for the hiker who had gone to find the four continued, with that hiker ultimately found deceased at the bottom of a 150-foot rock face.

The body of the deceased individual was later recovered from what was described as a “remote mountainous area.” The four hikers who initially went missing were taken to a nearby mountain station for medical evaluation. Information about their conditions has not been publicly released.

While many details related to this situation have not been made available pending an ongoing investigation, one takeaway may be to report emergencies as soon as possible. In general, members of the public are advised not to assist with search and rescue operations as their involvement may result in further complicating the initial effort.

Sincere condolences go out to those impacted by this tragic situation.

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