Coronado man hiking near Julian collapses, dies on trail

Victim found on Three Sisters Falls trail

3-Sisters-Waterfall-31201730.jpg

Three Sisters Waterfall
(Photo courtesy: Phoebe Chongchua, LiveFitMagazine.com)
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Posted: 09/30/2012
Last Updated: 231 days ago

JULIAN, Calif. - A 27-year-old Coronado man hiking near Julian with three friends collapsed and died on a trail, firefighters said Sunday.

Authorities on Tuesday identified him as Robert De La Cruz.

A call for medical assistance came in to Cal Fire at 2:50 p.m. Saturday, and reported the incident north of Tule Springs Road and west of State Route 78 between Ramona and Julian.

"The victim was in his mid-20s and he was found near Three Sisters Falls halfway back on the return hike," said Cal Fire Capt. Mike Mohler. "Medics were flown in and when they got there bystanders were performing CPR. He was pronounced dead at the scene."

Mohler said it is not uncommon for Cal Fire to respond to hikers in trouble in the remote location.

"It's almost a four-mile hike out and it can be really hot," he said. "People run out of water or they are not prepared."

Temperatures were in the mid-80s in the area on Saturday afternoon.

The cause of death remains under investigation.

Copyright 2012 by City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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