Share
Two rock climbers, including a former NFL player, were found dead near a Southern California peak after rescue crews responded to reports of injuries, authorities said.
The climbers were identified Thursday as Chelsea Walsh, 33, and Gavin Escobar, 31.
Rescuers were called around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to Tahquitz Rock near Idyllwild following a distress call, the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said on Twitter.
A team managed to climb into the steep, remote area and found both climbers dead at the scene, the department said.
A small amount of rain fell in the area earlier in the day, but officials didn’t immediately say if weather was a factor in the deaths.
Escobar had been a tight end for NFL teams, including the Dallas Cowboy in a backup role from 2013 to 2016. He then had brief stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, ending his football career in 2019 with the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.
Escobar was hired in February as a Long Beach firefighter, the department said.
Tahquitz Rock, with its steep granite cliffs, is a popular destination for climbers.
Two climbers from Los Angeles fell 200 feet to their deaths on the rock in 2000, according to the Los Angeles Times.
RELATED TOPICS:
Logan Webb’s Seven Dominant Innings Help Giants Blank Diamondbacks
2 hours ago
San Francisco Mayor Announces the City Will Receive Pandas from China
2 hours ago
49ers to Pick 1st Round for First Time Since 2021
2 hours ago
Jury Selection Could Be Nearing a Close in Donald Trump’s Hush Money Trial in New York
3 hours ago
Finding an Apartment May Be Easier for California Pet Owners Under New Legislation
3 hours ago
Abandoned Pup LB Finds Hope and Healing. He’s Available for Adoption at Mell’s Mutts.
3 hours ago
Rare House Vote Sees Ukraine, Israel Aid Advance as Democrats Join Republicans