Authorities have confirmed that three hikers who went missing after jumping into Rattlesnake Falls in California last week have been found safe.
The individuals, named Matthew Schoenecker from Los Angeles, Matthew Anthony from New York City, and Valentino Creus, also from Los Angeles, were part of a larger hiking group that was exploring the remote Soda Springs area on Wednesday, June 18. Reports indicate that the three entered the water at Rattlesnake Falls but did not come back up.
The remaining members of the group, who were stranded in the challenging terrain, had to be rescued by helicopter the next day.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office received the initial emergency call around 3 p.m. on Wednesday and quickly initiated a large-scale search and rescue operation. Several agencies participated, including the Sheriff’s Dive Team, CAL FIRE’s Technical Rescue Team, and a CHP helicopter unit.
“This is an extremely remote and rugged area, which has made rescue efforts particularly difficult,” officials stated at the time.
Adverse weather and dangerous conditions led to a temporary halt in the search on Thursday, but limited operations were able to resume on Friday. A full-scale search was restarted on Sunday, June 22, when conditions improved sufficiently to allow for better equipment and support from mutual aid partners, as reported by USA Today.
On that same day, the sheriff’s office announced that all three bodies had been recovered.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to their families, friends, and everyone impacted by this heartbreaking loss,” the department stated in a public announcement.
Juan Heredia, one of the volunteer divers, shared a moving account of the recovery efforts in a post on Facebook. He recounted the challenging hike, which took over three hours, to reach the falls, and the overwhelming force of the water as he submerged to find the bodies.
“The waterfall was fierce. It kept pushing me down… but I wasn’t going to leave without bringing those three souls back to their families,” Heredia expressed.
He mentioned that without their efforts, the bodies might not have surfaced for weeks. “Three beautiful souls have been recovered. They can now rest in peace, and their families can start the healing process.”
This tragedy has profoundly affected everyone involved, and law enforcement, volunteers, and local community members continue to grieve the loss of the three young men.