Three hikers, including a 19-year-old who fell roughly 500 feet (150m), have been found dead on Mt Baldy, a looming snow-capped mountain known to be one of the most dangerous to climb in Southern California.
Rescue workers found 19-year-old Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova dead and discovered two other dead hikers during the search, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The other two hikers were not walking with the teenagers, and it is unclear how long they had been dead on the mountain.
Casanova went for a walk on December 29 with a friend who was able to call for help after the young man fell. The friend had to walk away from the crash site near the Devil’s Backbone trail to an area with cell reception and provided their GPS location to rescue crews, authorities said. That companion was not hurt.
Due to high winds, emergency crews were unable to complete a helicopter recovery operation on Monday, but were able to recover the bodies on Tuesday.
The sheriff’s office said it had rescued five other hikers from the mountain in the previous five days.
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Marcus,” his family said in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement described the California native as “an avid sailor and outdoorsman”.
Rising 10,064 feet (3068m) in the San Gabriel Mountains, Mt Baldy – officially known as Mt San Antonio – has become one of the deadliest peaks in the United States.
More than 14 people have died on the mountain since 2020, including British actor Julian Sands in January 2023, although his remains were not found until five months later. More than 100 people have been rescued from the mountain since 2020.
Proximity to Los Angeles means Mt Baldy attracts both experienced and inexperienced climbers, and authorities have urged people to stay off the mountain, especially during such unpredictable winter weather.
“It’s one of the most dangerous trails we have here in our area,” Jenny Smith, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said of the Devil’s Backbone trail at a news conference. “We don’t want novice hikers climbing and hurting themselves.”
Snowy Mt Baldy seen from Los Angeles on December 28, 2025 [BBC]
British actor Julian Sands died while hiking Mt Baldy in 2023 [Reuters]
Southern California has been covered in rain and snow over the past week, but on December 29, when the young man went hiking, the sun was shining, and the skies were blue with unusually clear visibility across the region.
Mt Baldy was visible across Southern California, with magnificent views from as far away as Catalina Island.
The weather can change quickly on Mt Baldy, and conditions can be dangerous with snow and ice. Climbers entering the Devil’s Backbone trail are advised to carry crampons and ice skates.
The trails on the mountain were temporarily closed until the new year after the deaths and repeated rescue responses.