A hiker was found dead after falling into the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and being swept away by fast-moving water Sunday in Angeles National Forest, according to the San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team.
The woman was carried away at about 8 a.m. during a hike on the Bridge to Nowhere Trail. Team members already in the area were notified by a runner that the woman fell into the river.
SDMRT members, the Los Angeles County sheriff’s and fire departments, and other agencies were part of the search in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles.
“After a grueling search, the victim was located,” the rescue team said in a Facebook post. “Sadly, she was deceased, and the effort turned to a recovery operation.”
The Bridge to Nowhere is an arch bridge built in 1936 that spans the east fork of the San Gabriel River. Volunteers with the SDMRT were at the location Sunday sharing hiking safety tips at a time when water levels are high due to later-winter runoff in the mountains.
Details about the woman’s identity were not immediately available.
The Bridge to Nowhere Trail reopened last summer after it was closed due to damage from the Bridge Fire in 2024.
“Multiple crossings are required, and even experienced hikers can be caught off guard,” the team said in its post. “Turn around if the water looks too fast or deep.”