Body of California hiker found one week after she went missing on Mount Baldy trek

Lifei Huang, 22, went missing on the mountain amid powerful snowstorms

Lifei Huang, 22, went missing on the mountain amid powerful snowstorms (City of El Monte)

The body of a California woman who went missing while hiking Mount Baldy has been found.

Lifei Huang, 22, set out on a hike on the afternoon of 4 February, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Loved ones reported the El Monte woman missing after not being able to contact her for several hours.

Search and rescue teams looked for Huang for the next two days, but due to extreme snowstorms and the risk of avalanches, had to pause search efforts until conditions were safer.

On Saturday, a citizen flying a drone reported possibly sighting the missing woman. Search teams were not immediately able to hike to the location due to weather conditions, and aviation crews couldn’t conduct an aerial search amid strong winds. Team members “stayed the night near the location to preserve the scene,” the sheriff’s department said.

The next morning, air rescue teams were able to hoist medics down to the area, where they found the body of Huang, which was then airlifted off of the mountain.

“We would like to thank all our personnel and volunteers that aided in the search, as well as the citizen that alerted U.S. Forestry,” the sheriff’s department said.

Before Huang’s body was found, her cousin, Ally Zhang, told ABC 7 that her loved ones were hoping she’d be found safe.

"We are doing everything for her," Ms Zhang said. "We never blamed her for doing this. We don’t think that she wanted this to happen. We’re 100 per cent sure she still is alive."

Mount Baldy in Southern California (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In a statement, El Monte officials extended their condolences to Huang’s family and thanked the search and rescue teams.

“Our hearts go out to the Huang family during this difficult time as the El Monte community comes together to grieve the loss of Lifei,” they said. “We want to express our sincere thanks to the U.S. Department of Forestry and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for their unwavering dedication in the rescue efforts.”

The sheriff’s department is urging the public to “stay away and refrain from mountain activities during this inclement weather.”

“The weather has effectively buried the mountain in snow and it is highly likely hikers will get into trouble,” they said. “Resources are stretched to their limits and hikers who get lost may have to wait long periods of time before help is available.”

Mount Baldy rises more than 10,000 feet east of Los Angeles and is a popular spot for hikers.

British actor Julian Sands, 65, was reported missing while hiking there in January 2023, and his remains were eventually discovered in June.