News Release

Hiker Dies Near Backbone Trail in Malibu on Labor Day

Date: September 3, 2019
Contact: Ana Beatriz Cholo, 805-750-9356 (cell); 805-370-2385 (office)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A 64-year-old male hiker was found deceased by emergency responders about a mile from the Kanan Backbone Trailhead in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Monday afternoon. The hiker was part of a group that had left the official trail and entered an area of the backcountry that the National Park Service had closed after the Woolsey Fire. Click here to see map.

Hikers began calling 911 shortly after 2 p.m. on Monday, according to officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Malibu-Lost Hills Station. The hikers stated that they were suffering from heat exhaustion, had run out of water and needed to be rescued. 

Emergency responders arrived at the scene of the deceased man and attempted to revive him using CPR. He was pronounced dead at 3:40 p.m. and was airlifted out of the canyon by helicopter. According to members of the Malibu Search & Rescue Team, the hiker died from heat stroke. Temperatures yesterday were 85 degrees. 

Several other hikers that are a part of the same hiking group also had to be rescued from different locations, according to officials. They were found on four different cliffsides near Newton Canyon and Zuma Edison Road, along an abandoned, rapidly eroding and treacherous road, according to National Park Service officials. The road is not an official trail and is part of an area that has been closed since November 2018 in order to protect visitors and recovering vegetation. Some of the hikers had already hiked for almost eight miles.

Last year’s Woolsey Fire devastated 88 percent of National Park Service land and although all trails are open, the burn scar has left many areas without shade or respite from the harsh sun.

This is the second heat-related fatality this summer on federal land. A month ago, a 72-year-old female hiker succumbed to the heat during a hike in the isolated Circle X area of Malibu. 

Visitors to the park are strongly urged to follow these safety tips:

• Plan ahead! Bring the 10 essentials on every hike, no matter how short. These essentials include extra water (at least 3-5 liters on hot days) and extra food. Hikers should also have a map and compass (or GPS), flashlight or headlamp, sun protection, extra insulation, waterproof matches, an emergency shelter, a multipurpose tool and first aid kit. 

• If hiking as part of a group, designate a “sweep,” a hiker who stays at the back of the group as a safety measure. Also, the hike leader should stop at forks and intersections to allow hikers and the sweep to rejoin the group.

• Stay on the trail. Do not wander off trail!

• Dress appropriately by wearing light and loose-fitting clothing. Wear good hiking shoes. 

• During the summer, hike in the morning or in the late afternoon when the temperatures are cooling down. 

• Know your limits! If carrying extra water is not feasible, reconsider the hike.

Hiking in extreme heat can lead to serious health risks including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyponatremia, hyperthermia and death. If you see signs of a heat-related illness, stop, seek shade and try to cool down. Do not ignore the signs, which include nausea, disorientation, dizziness and hallucinations. 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park System, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.

 

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