The body of a 22-year-old El Monte woman who went missing while hiking Mt. Baldy has been found, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
A person flying a drone near the upper San Antonio Creek Falls area alerted the U.S. Forest Department Saturday afternoon that they may have spotted Lifei Huang, who was reported missing on Feb. 4. The sheriff’s department was then informed of the tip but due to conditions on the mountain, rescue team members were unable to reach the spot where they believed the missing hiker was.
Sunday morning, medics were able to reach the location via air rescue and found Huang dead. The rescue team and Huang’s body were then airlifted off the mountain, according to law enforcement.
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A winter storm slammed Southern California with about three days of rain, bringing with it record rainfall across the Southland and snow to the region’s mountains.
Huang went on a hike alone around 2 p.m. on Feb. 4 and wasn’t heard from since. In wake of her death, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department urges the public to refrain from mountain activities in rural areas during inclement weather.
“The weather has effectively buried the mountain in snow and it is highly likely hikers will get into trouble,” the department said in a statement. “Resources are stretched to their limits and hikers who get lost may have to wait long periods of time before help is available.”
