California woman on hike goes missing after being swept away by river

A search is underway for a missing hiker in Southern California who was swept away in a powerful current while trying to cross a river near a trail in the Angeles National Forest, authorities said Monday.

The hiker, described as a 59-year-old woman, was hiking with friends on the Heaton Flats Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday morning when she lost her footing and the rapid river current swept her downstream, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

Rescuers received reports of the incident around 9:50 a.m., and the San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team and L.A. County Fire Department immediately responded to search for the woman.

In the days since the woman disappeared, the sheriff’s department said it has deployed approximately 60 personnel to the scene, including mountain rescue teams, helicopters and drones. Members of the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau and U.S. Forest Service personnel also assisted.

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Over two days, the sheriff's office said it deployed about 60 search and rescue personnel to help find the woman. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

"In some instances, the search and rescue personnel have been airlifted to certain locations to search due to the treacherous terrain and strong river currents," the sheriff’s department said.

A Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department helicopter conducts a search for the missing hiker near the San Gabriel River along the Heaton Flats Trail in Angeles National Forest. (LASD - Special Enforcement Bureau)

While the missing hiker’s name has yet to be released publicly, KABC-TV reported that the woman is a traveling nurse from Central California. No further details about the woman were immediately available.

The woman was hiking with friends along the Heaton Flats Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday morning. (LASD - Special Enforcement Bureau)

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The sheriff's department warned hikers to use extreme caution when crossing streams, rivers or creeks.

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"Water is powerful, even in seemingly calmer sections," the department said, adding that hikers should also avoid water that is higher than their knees and test the stability of rocks or logs before crossing.