Posted on 12/14/2019 6:11:06 PM PST by BenLurkin
A search and rescue team member was found dead Saturday amid the search for a 52-year-old hiker from Irvine who went missing near Mount Baldy nearly a week ago, authorities said.
The death took place as members of a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Team continued their search for the missing hiker into a seventh day.
It was not clear how the rescuer died Saturday afternoon.
Crews have been working in tough terrain, dealing with waist-deep snow, icy conditions and treacherous cliffs at elevations at around 7,000 feet, officials said. The mountain and surrounding area were closed to the public during the search.
The search operation began when Mokkapati became separated from his group and failed to return from a planned day hike.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
How sad. What a miserable thing for all.
Not good.
Right out of the Missing 411 books.
It’s a strange story that has gotten more strange.
An earlier article: https://ktla.com/2019/12/12/mount-baldy-placed-under-emergency-closure-as-searchers-focus-on-missing-irvine-hiker/
Why close the mountain?
Right out of the Missing 411 books.
******
Exactly what I first thought too.
What a waste. Stupid foreigner doesn’t follow instructions and now an American rescuer is dead
Looks like they should have waited for spring.
foreigner? Are citizens from different cities within California now considered foreigners? 8>)
Irvine is a master-planned city in Orange County, California, United States in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971.
David Paulides told an account of a woman who disappeared several feet from the parking lot and her car. She was with her husband. Cant remember her name unfortunately. I thought of David when I read this article.
I don’t recall that exact story, but there are many like it in his Missing 411 series.
I have all nine of Paulides books and a constant theme running through his books on people that went missing in the wilderness is that they “somehow got separated from their companions.” Most are never found, and the few that are often have no memory of how that got lost or what they were doing while lost. SAR members are often stumped when they can’t find these people.
What a stupid comment. There are plenty of stupid Americans, and plenty of brave foreigners. And to my knowledge they havent even released the nationality of the deceased rescuer. And why does it even matter?
Well, I hiked all over that area as a teenager. But not in snow storms, that’s a suicide mission. It was scary enough scaling the wall next to San Antonio falls even tho it had signs saying you can kill yourself slipping on these rocks. But when your 17 you know. But anyway up ice house canyon, following the stream or all the way to the top of Baldy and down following the ski lift. But like i said why anyone would try in snow with no snow equipment. I pray they find the guy but its been about a week . And that mountain rescue squad is one of best so if one of their guys died its dangerous.
LEX
Sounds like they need to cut their losses, head for the lodge...and wish the next hikers the best of luck.
Indian here on a tech visa
Gnarly dude
Baldy is about 10000 ft. Rest around it is 6000-8000 ft
There is no real crankiness to the range but around there is garnly in winter
Snow and ice is whole different animal. Dangers abound. Cracks. Slips.
Really? Since you have been a member since 1998, I somehow don’t guy your response. But that was a nice try. 8>)
No, he didn’t become separated from his group. He had climbed the mountain before so likely thought he knew best and purposefully left his group. Rescuers found foot prints leaving and followed them for a while. Idiot put others in danger and caused a rescuer his life.
I went to school with a guy who, along with his younger sister, died when they both fell down an ice shute on Mt. Baldy. They were there on a family outing. Very tragic.
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