California hiker found dead after striking out to search for missing group

A hiker was recovered dormant successful the distant mountains of Southern California implicit the play aft searching for friends who had gotten mislaid connected a trail, according to authorities.

Deputies responded conscionable earlier 8:30 p.m. Saturday to a telephone astir a missing hiker adjacent State Route 74 successful Anza, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said.

The caller said 4 members of their radical had acceptable retired connected a hike aboriginal that greeting and failed to return. Concerned they were successful distress, different subordinate of the radical went searching for them.

The sheriff’s Aviation Unit and Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit launched a search.

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The 5th hiker, who had acceptable retired to find the missing members of their group, was aboriginal recovered dormant adjacent the basal of a 150-foot stone face. The decease is being investigated. (Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, File)

A chopper unit recovered the archetypal 4 missing hikers and hoisted them to safety. The radical was taken to the Lake Hemet Mountain Station, wherever they were medically evaluated.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Aviation Unit and Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit took portion successful the hunt for the missing hikers successful the distant mountains adjacent Anza, California, connected Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, File)

Crews continued searching for the further hiker and recovered the idiosyncratic adjacent the basal of a 150-foot stone face. Rescue unit reached the hiker and pronounced the idiosyncratic dormant astatine the scene.

A chopper unit spotted the 4 archetypal missing hikers and hoisted them to safety. (Riverside County Sheriff's Aviation Unit, File)

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The Riverside County Coroner's Bureau is investigating the death.

Rescue teams aboriginal recovered the assemblage from the distant terrain. Authorities person not released the hiker's identity.

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The probe remains ongoing.