Hiker found dead at base of waterfall after 80-foot fall, California rescuers say

A missing 33-year-old hiker has been found dead at the base of a waterfall in the San Bernardino Mountains after an 80-foot fall, California authorities reported.

The family of Robert Carey Jr. of Calimesa notified deputies Saturday, April 30, that he was overdue from a hike at San Gorgonio Peak, a San Bernardino County sheriff’s news release said.

Other hikers reported hearing someone shout for help near Big Falls Waterfall that evening, the sheriff’s office said.

A sheriff’s helicopter found Carey at the bottom of the waterfall overnight and lowered a rescuer to him, the release said. He had apparently died after an 80-foot fall.

His body was recovered by helicopter Sunday, May 1, the sheriff’s office said.

“The Carey family expressed their extreme gratitude with the heroic efforts displayed by all involved emergency personnel,” the release said.

San Gorgonio Peak in the San Bernardino National Forest is the highest mountain in California south of the Sierra Nevada at 11,499 feet.

This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Hiker found dead at base of waterfall after 80-foot fall, California rescuers say."