Authorities have identified one of three hikers found dead on Mount Baldy as Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, a 19-year-old Seal Beach resident. The tragic rescue operation ended with the discovery of three bodies on Monday in the San Gabriel Mountains.
According to officials, the hiker had fallen approximately 500 feet down the mountainside. A companion managed to reach an area with cell service and provided GPS coordinates to facilitate the rescue.
Sheriff’s Search and Rescue teams initiated a ground-based ascent while aerial rescue units looked from the sky. During the helicopter search, deputies spotted the initial hiker and found two additional individuals nearby. However, severe wind conditions prevented the helicopter from safely executing a rescue at that time.
By 7:30 p.m., an airship from Los Angeles County arrived to assist. Despite renewed efforts, dangerous wind gusts again blocked any hoist rescue attempt. An air medic was successfully lowered to the scene and was able to assess and determine that all three individuals had already died.
As of Wednesday morning, Casanova had been positively identified. The Sheriff’s Coroner Division continues to work on identifying the other two. Officials stated the cause of death remains under investigation.
“We are destroyed by the loss of our beloved Marcus. He was a graduate of Los Alamitos High, a freshman at Santa Clara University’s business school, and an avid sailor and outdoorsman,” the family said. “It is difficult to explain the pain and anguish we are going through and ask for privacy as we try to find our way.”
“The tragic loss of life on Mt. Baldy and repeated rescue responses highlight how dangerous current conditions are, even for experienced hikers. Weather and terrain conditions remain extremely dangerous and unpredictable, posing a significant risk to both the public and Search and Rescue personnel,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement.
The mountain has earned a reputation for hazardous conditions, especially during the winter months when snow and ice create treacherous terrain. In January 2023, actor Julian Sands went missing during icy conditions and was not found until June 24, 2023. That same month, hiker Crystal Paula Gonzalez-Landas died after sliding 500 to 700 feet down an icy slope, and a 75-year-old man went missing before being rescued after two days in severe weather.
