Crystal Paula Gonzalez California hiker falls 700 ft to her death moments after final video along Baldy Bowl. Outdoor enthusiast from Covina was avid hiker.
A California hiker made a final video announcing, ‘it’s go time,’ only to fall 700ft to her death moments later.
Crystal Paula Gonzalez, a mother of four made her final video on Sunday for Facebook where she regularly updated friends about her adventures.
In the pre-dawn darkness, wearing a head torch, she said: ‘It’s go time! Lots of people out today.’
As she begins her trek, the ice could be heard crunching beneath her feet, only for Gonzalez soon after to slip and plunge 700ft down the Baldy Bowl.
San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said they received a call from California Office of Emergency Services, which was alerted via a Garmin emergency device.
‘This stuff is dangerous!!!!!! Beware hikers….,’
A helicopter was dispatched, with Gonzalez found ‘down on a steep and icy hillside, surrounded by numerous helpful hikers assisting in any way they could,’ according to their incident report.
The medic on board the helicopter requested Sheriff’s Air Rescue, but Gonzalez died of her injuries before she could be airlifted from the scene.
Four days before falling to her death, the avid hiker also known as ‘the dancing hiking queen’, posted a video of the treacherous conditions.
‘This stuff is dangerous!!!!!! Beware hikers….,’ she wrote, with the hashtags: #MountainLessons #Learning #DangerousTerrain #Bowltrail #Mountbaldy.
She also posted a video of snowboarders, captioned: ‘So unfortunately, I had to turn around safety comes first.’
On January 3, Gonzalez posted: ‘Don’t know where I’m headed just know that I am living a great story……’
On a GoFundMe page set up by her family, Gonzalez was remembered ‘for her fearless hikes, and daily dose of inspiration.’
Her daughter, Jasmine Rosado, wrote: ‘More importantly she was an amazing mother of four, a sister and a friend to everyone she met.
‘She is the personification of strength, love, and beauty.
‘She was a beacon of light to everyone who knew her and was always ready to lend a helping hand.’
On her Instagram page, hiker_4life, Gonzalez described herself as: ‘At 56 I hike, jog, run and ride a MOUNTAIN bike love the great outdoors and I have 4 amazing children! LIVING,LOVING AND ENJOYING LIFE!!!’
Gonzalez, from Covina, is the second person to die on the mountain in two weeks the dailymail reports.
On December 28, Jarret Choi, 43, from LA, was hiking the Ice House Canyon trail when he fell near the Ice House Saddle ridge line.
He was found two days later, after a search hampered by extreme weather conditions.
On December 17, four people had to be rescued by helicopter from the mountain after icy conditions made it impossible to move.
Authorities are stressing that hikers must wear appropriate clothing for the cold weather and have proper snow and ice gear.
