Hiker dies after fall on ‘very popular’ SoCal trail

A hiker was found dead near a popular swimming hole in Ventura County on Sunday, and officials are investigating if the individual fell from a cliff. 

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Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andy VanSciver confirmed to SFGATE that a person was reported to have fallen around 12:15 p.m. on Sunday in Los Padres National Forest. 

Capt. Chris Zapata of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said air support was called in to assist but that the 22-year-old male victim was found deceased on the scene with “initial reports that he possibly fell.” The man was found near the popular Punch Bowls swimming holes. 

Zapata said the victim may have fallen “possibly 30 feet,” although the investigation into the fatality is ongoing. The local search and rescue team and the Ventura County medical examiner and Major Crimes Unit were sent to retrieve the body, he said.Authorities have not given any indication that foul play is suspected.

The victim found Sunday was hiking with friends on the Last Chance Trail before he died, according to the Ventura County Star. That backcountry trail stretches 10.1 miles, with an elevation gain of about 1,700 feet. The National Forest Service classifies the trail’s difficulty as moderate and says it is “very popular” thanks to nearby swimming holes and waterfalls. 

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The hiker’s identity and cause of death have not yet been released by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office. 

VanSciver said fatal falls are relatively rare in the area but have happened before, including in 1997, when a Thomas Aquinas College student fell 60 feet.