A young mother died Sunday morning after she was swept into the San Gabriel River while hiking the Bridge to Nowhere trail in the Angeles National Forest.
Members of the San Dimas mountain rescue team were stationed at the East Fork trailhead around 8 a.m., speaking with hikers about river crossing safety. Shortly after, a runner began yelling that a young mother had fallen in at the second river crossing and was being swept away by the current, the rescue team said in a social media post.
“Our worst fears became reality,” the team said. “We immediately activated emergency response.”
Emergency crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, its air operations unit, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were on the scene.
The woman’s body was found during the search.
Afterward, the rescue team urged the public to stay off the East Fork and Bridge to Nowhere Trail until the water levels drop significantly.
“Turn around if the water looks too fast or deep. Your life (and your loved ones’ hearts) are worth more than any hike,” the team said.
The trail was reopened last summer following nearly a year of closure due to the Bridge fire that burned more than 56,000 acres in 2024.
The reopening surprised many in the hiking community and some forest officials. Justin Seastrand, forest recreation manager at Angeles National Forest, said the East Fork watershed area would remain closed for another year due to severe burns that can cause flooding and possible debris flow.
