Volunteer rescuer plunges to his death while searching for a lost hiker in California
A rescue volunteer died Saturday after possibly plummeting down an ice chute while searching a Southern California mountain for a missing hiker, KNBC reported.
A helicopter spotted Timothy Staples, 32, dead on the ice and snow after he became separated from his partner, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department wrote on Facebook.
Staples, a 9-year veteran of the volunteer search team, was a newly married teacher at Damien High School in La Verne, California, KCBS reported.
“Our search and rescue volunteers give us themselves and their time selflessly to try to rescue folks that have become lost. And this is an example of what they are willing to give,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon, according to the station.
Staples was one of 126 people searching Mount Baldy on Saturday for a missing 52-year-old hiker, the sheriff’s department wrote.
Sreenivas “Sree” Mokkapati of Irvine was last seen Sunday trekking up the peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, McClatchy News previously reported.
Fellow hiker Justin Williams took the last known photo of Mokkapati, shot before Williams and other hikers turned back, according to the publication. Mokkapati decided to press on.
“I wish I would have been like, ‘no, you can’t do it, man — you’re going to die,’” Williams said, McClatchy News reported. “I keep reliving that moment in my mind.”
Rescuers scouring the mountain for Mokkapati the past week repeatedly had to be diverted to assist other lost or injured hikers until Angeles National Forest officials closed the mountain, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Staples was found after his partner radioed at 1 p.m. that they had become separated, sheriff’s officials wrote on Facebook.
After the helicopter found his body, a medic lowered from the aircraft confirmed Staples had died. The helicopter also picked up his partner, sheriff’s officials reported.
“In the daytime, the snow starts to melt and as the day goes on and it gets cooler and turns to ice and becomes extremely dangerous,” McMahon said, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.
Staples, an Upland resident, taught English and social science at Damien High School, an all-boys Catholic school, according to the publication. A 2006 graduate of the school, he also coached the school’s cross-country and track and field teams.
“This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school family, especially our students,” the private school wrote in a Facebook post. A prayer vigil will be held Monday for Staples at the campus.
“He was an extremely dedicated volunteer, loved the opportunity to participate in search and rescue and really loved what he did,” said Sgt. Jeff Allison about Staples, KNBC reported.
The agency has pulled all teams from Mount Baldy and suspended the search for Mokkapati while it investigates the death and re-evaluates the operation, the Facebook post reads.
