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A tragic incident unfolded on Sunday when a young mother drowned after being swept away at a river crossing near a favored hiking trail in Southern California. This heartbreaking event occurred even as a mountain rescue team was positioned on the trail to caution hikers about the perilous conditions.
The San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team had been stationed at the Bridge to Nowhere trailhead along the East Fork of the San Gabriel River in the Angeles National Forest. They were engaged in educating hikers about safety measures and the dangers of river crossings around 8 a.m. when the situation suddenly took a dire turn.
“In an instant, everything changed,” the rescue team recounted in a news release, describing the moment a distressed runner came charging up the trail, urgently calling for assistance. The runner reported that a young mother had fallen into the river at the second crossing and had been swept away by the powerful current.
“Our worst fears became reality,” the team lamented.
Tragically, the rescuers later discovered the woman’s body, confirming her death after she was carried away in the swollen San Gabriel River on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Rescuers immediately launched an emergency response. Multiple agencies responded, including Los Angeles County Fire Department, Air Operations, the LASD Aero Bureau and the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.
Crews located the woman after an extensive search. She was pronounced deceased, and the mission shifted to a recovery operation. The woman’s identity has not been released.
The flooded East Fork of the San Gabriel River is seen near the confluence with the river’s West Fork in an undated photo. (iStock)
Rescuers said they later assisted the woman’s grieving family at the command post.
“All we could offer were hugs, water, shade, and our presence in their darkest moment,” the rescue team said. “No words can fix this kind of loss.”
Officials warned that recent conditions have made the East Fork especially dangerous, with swift, high water and multiple required river crossings along the Bridge to Nowhere Trail.
A view of the Bridge to Nowhere trail set against the San Gabriel Mountains in Angeles National Forest, California. (iStock)
Authorities are urging hikers to avoid the area until water levels significantly drop.
“Turn around if the water looks too fast or too deep,” rescuers said. “Your life is worth more than any hike.”
Angeles National Forest is located northeast of Los Angeles.
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