Missing hiker found dead on California's Mount Baldy after citizen's drone tips off authorities

Southern California officials found a hiker dead Sunday after she was reported missing a week earlier.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said it received a call on Feb. 4 about a hiker who was alone in the Mount Baldy area of the San Gabriel Mountains and hadn't been heard from in several hours, according to a news release.

The crew began searching, but was called off because of the mountain conditions. On Saturday, a citizen flying a drone reported they may have located the woman.

After further weather delays, medics were airlifted in to the scene Sunday, where they located the woman identified as Lifei Huang, 22, of El Monte.

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Weather and mountain condition thwarted rescue efforts

The day Huang went missing, an atmospheric river dumped rain and snowfall in the West, causing devastating floods and mudslides, throughout the region and turning to heavy snowfall as it made its way up the mountain. The weather and avalanche risk after the storm thwarted officials' search efforts multiple times:

• Monday, Feb. 5: After Huang was reported missing, a search and rescue crew arrived in the Mount Baldy area and began a search but did not find the woman.
• Tuesday, Feb. 6: Crews continued the search in the heavily snow-covered area; however, avalanche risks hindered the search efforts, and the crews were pulled off the mountain, sheriff's officials said. Rescue teams remained at the trailhead and continued their search when conditions were safe, sheriff’s officials said. 
• Friday, Feb. 9: Sheriff's officials stated that Huang remained missing and that ground efforts would resume when weather and mountain conditions improved.

Even after the storm rolled through, Huang's friends, who know her as Ada, held out hope.

"We are doing everything for her," cousin Ally Zhang told KABC 7.  "We never blamed her for doing this. We don't think that she wanted this to happen."

At about 3:25 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, the U.S. Forestry Department told the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office that a citizen flying a drone may have spotted Huang’s body. 

When rescuers arrived, they were unable to hike to the spot where Huang's body was believed to be due to dangerous conditions on the mountain, authorities said. Sheriff's aviation crews were also unable to perform an aerial search due to high winds. Rescue team members stayed the night near the location to preserve the scene.

At 7:45 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11, sheriff’s Air Rescue 306 hoisted medics down to the location. Huang's body was then airlifted off the mountain. The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner's Division will determine what caused Huang's death.

Mount Baldy known for being treacherous to hikers

Huang is not the first life lost on Mount Baldy. In recent years, the sheriff’s department has conducted more than 100 search and rescue operations for missing hikers, with over 10 fatalities.

The dangerous nature of Mount Baldy was highlighted in January 2023, when accomplished mountaineer and actor Julian Sands went missing and was found dead. 

The local sheriff has asked legislators for help in adding safety measures, pointing to the steep costs associated with rescue missions.

Along with the financial costs, the search and rescue missions have come at a much higher price − the death of Tim Staples, 32. In 2019, Staples, a nine-year search and rescue veteran, was one of 126 volunteers searching for a missing hiker in Mount Baldy’s icy, rugged terrain. Staples became separated from his partner and was later found dead after suffering a fatal fall. 

The problem extends beyond Mount Baldy, and rescuers in Southern California have struggled to keep up.