Full Notification

DATE/TIME: Monday, March 12, 2018

INCIDENT: Missing Hiker Located

LOCATION: Mt Baldy – Devil’s Backbone

VICTIM: Xiangfeng Ma, age 41 a resident of Anaheim

SUMMARY:

On March 10, 2018, at approximately 6:00 pm, deputies from the Fontana Sheriff’s Station responded to Mt Baldy following the report of a missing hiker, an adult male. The reporting party stated the hiker left for a morning hike and had not returned. Unfortunately, the reporting party did not know what trailhead the hiker was planning to use. The reporting party said his friend had hiked Mt Baldy a few times in the past.

Deputies located the missing hiker's vehicle parked at Baldy and San Antonio Falls. Deputies immediately requested assistance from Volunteer Forces for volunteers from the Sheriff's Dept. Search and Rescue units. Sheriff's Aviation was unable to assist with an aerial search due to inclement weather. Over 40 search and rescue members were deployed into the field searching the trailheads near the area where the missing hiker's vehicle was located. A request for mutual aid was made with State OES for additional search teams from surrounding counties. The search for the missing hiker continued throughout the night, Sunday, March 11th.

On Monday, March 12th, a break in the weather allowed the flight crew of Sheriff’s Aviation 40K4 to assist in the search by conducting an aerial search for the victim. At approximately 8:38 am the flight crew located foot tracks in the area of Devils Backbone Road and Forest Service Road 3N06D. Crew members followed those tracks down the slope of the mountain and located a deceased male adult near the stream. Emergency Air Rescue Ship 306 was requested and responded to the location and recovered the victim. The victim has been identified as Xiangfeng Ma, a resident of Anaheim.



Refer: Public Affairs Division

Phone No. (909)387-3700



JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department