Several trails temporarily closed on California’s Mount Baldy after 3 hikers found dead

Several trails on Mount Baldy remain temporarily closed after three hikers were found dead on the Southern California mountain this week, authorities said.

The three hikers were located on Monday during a search for a 19-year-old man who had fallen on the mountain near the Devil’s Backbone trail, authorities said. Two other male hikers were located nearby during the search-and-rescue effort for the teen, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Amid dangerous conditions, seven trails at Mount Baldy, including the Devil’s Backbone, will remain closed for a week, according to the sheriff’s department.

Mount Baldy had been previously closed until New Year’s Day following the deaths due to public safety concerns. The select trails on the mountain will now remain closed through 11:59 p.m. local time on Jan. 7, the sheriff’s department said.

“This proactive measure follows the recent, tragic discovery of three deceased individuals in the area,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said. “Due to extreme environmental hazards and the current risk to hikers, these closures are being implemented to prevent further loss of life.”

The teen was identified by the sheriff’s department on Wednesday as Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova of Seal Beach, California. The cause of death is pending, authorities said.

The sheriff’s department said Wednesday it was still working to identify the two other hikers, who were found by chance during the search for the teen.

The search for the teen began midday Monday, when a search and rescue team responded to a request to rescue the hiker after he reportedly fell approximately 500 feet near the Devil’s Backbone trail, the sheriff’s department said.

A friend who was hiking with the teen “hiked to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to assist rescuers,” the sheriff’s department said in a press release.

During an aerial search, deputies found the teen as well as two unidentified individuals nearby, though the helicopter was unable to complete the rescue due to severe winds, authorities said. 

Later Monday evening, an air medic who was hoisted down confirmed all three hikers were dead, authorities said. The helicopter was still unable to safely recover them at that time due to severe winds.

Recovery efforts continued on Tuesday, with the sheriff’s department updating the following day that the bodies had been recovered.

The family of Casanova remembered him as “an incredibly sweet and empathetic young man” in a statement to ABC Los Angeles station KABC on Wednesday.

“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 statement read. “It is difficult to explain the pain and anguish we are going through and ask for privacy as we try to find our way.”

Mount Baldy, the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, is located outside Los Angeles.

The sheriff’s department urged members of the public to comply with the closure order.

“Our primary responsibility is the preservation of life,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement on Wednesday. “Closing these trails is a necessary step to mitigate ongoing risks. We urge the community to respect these boundaries.”

Those who violate the closure order could be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to six months, the sheriff’s department said.

ABC News’ Jenna Harrison contributed to this report.