LOS ANGELES (AP) -
Authorities searching for a missing hiker on Southern California’s Mount Baldy have issued emergency closures of the area to avoid having to divert resources to rescue other climbers.
A large area around the mountain northeast of Los Angeles and trails leading up to the 10,046-foot (3,062-meter) peak were closed on Wednesday by the U.S. Forest Service, although a ski resort remained open.
On Thursday, searchers continued to hunt for Sreenivas “Sree” Mokkapati, 52, who vanished on Sunday after becoming separated from a group of hikers.
Mokkapati, of Irvine, was last seen wearing a gray puffy jacket and gray pants, officials said.
Friens and relatives said he was an experienced hiker who had climbed the mountain several times but was only prepared for a day hike.
Searchers found footprints Monday in the area in the area where Mokkapati was last seen.
Mount Baldy, formally called Mount San Antonio, is a popular hiking spot but the trails are rugged and can be treacherous in winter because of ice and snow.
Several people have fallen to their deaths in recent years and authorities said closing them was important in order to concentrate on the search for Mokkapati.
“While searching for a missing hiker, sheriff resources have been diverted multiple times to rescue other hikers who are unprepared to be hiking in snow and ice,” officials from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Emergency Management Team said in a tweet, according to KTLA-TV.
The closures will continue until Dec. 31 or the search concludes.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.