Two California hikers who went missing earlier this week on Mount Whitney have been found dead, authorities said.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a call on Tuesday around 8:30 p.m. PT regarding the overdue hikers, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office on Thursday.
The hikers had intended to descend to the Notch area on Mount Whitney’s Mountaineer Route with plans to ski or snowboard from there back to their camp at Upper Boy Scout Lake, authorities said.
The person who reported the hikers missing had been hiking along with them and waited several hours at camp for their return before contacting the sheriff’s office.
Inyo County’s search and rescue team looked for the hikers by helicopter and by foot, according to the release.
“Tragically, both hikers were later discovered deceased” in Tulare County, California, the sheriff’s office stated in the release.
CNN has contacted the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office for more information.
Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, according to the National Park Service.
Huge_Strain_8714 on May 12nd, 2024 at 01:00 UTC »
I'm a fearful hiker. Fearful of heights, of being caught out after dark, without water. I was taught " better safe than sorry". Please be careful outdoors.
YouHaveBlood on May 11st, 2024 at 23:33 UTC »
I have done the mountaineers route up and down. Its not for beginners. If you are not familiar with the route, Better spend a few hundred dollars and take a guide who knows the route well.
morbob on May 11st, 2024 at 22:35 UTC »
If you go to the cabin at the top of the trail, you can go over to the 395 eastern edge. We did it. It was so scary that as we neared the edge we got on our bellies and crawled over to the edge. It was a good 2000-3000 foot straight down drop. My butt puckered. I gently belly crawled backwards and got the hell out of there.