Hiker missing for a week is found dead on towering, snow-covered Southern California mountain

MOUNT BALDY VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) — A hiker who was missing for days on Southern California’s towering Mount Baldy was found dead over the weekend, authorities said.

A helicopter crew recovered the body of Lefei Huang, 22, on Sunday morning from the upper San Antonio Creek Falls area of the mountain, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

A drone operator reported possibly spotting the young woman Saturday afternoon, but conditions prevented searchers from immediately hiking to the spot and high winds prevented an aerial search.

The mountain rises to more than 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Storms have covered it in snow.

Huang, of suburban El Monte, was reported missing shortly before midnight on Feb. 4. She had set out on a solo hike at around 2 p.m. and hadn’t been heard from since about 4 p.m. that day.

Searches were hindered by heavy snowfall and avalanche risks that forced crews to leave the mountain.

Baldy is known to be treacherous in winter and last year claimed the lives of several hikers, including actor Julian Sands.