HIKER DIES ON TRAIL AFTER FINDING THREE SISTERS FALLS DRY

By Miriam Raftery

September 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A 27-year-old Coronado man collapsed and died yesterday on the return hike from Three Sisters Falls.  According to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office, the man was hiking with three friends on the trail in the Descanso/Julian area when he collapsed.

“It was a hot day and the falls apparently were dried up,” the Medical Examiner’s website reports.  Temperatures were in the 80s, with an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service in effect.

Cal Fire responded to a 911 call at 2:50 p.m. “Medics were flown in and when they got there bystanders were performing CPR,” Mike Mohler with Cal Fire told ECM news partner 10 News. The hiker was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rescues are common on the steep trail, where hikers too often fail to carry adequate water and become dehydrated.

Cause of death remains under investigation.  The man’s identity has not yet been released pending notification of relatives.