Three hikers who went missing at the Rattlesnake Falls in California were found dead after a multi-day search and rescue mission.
According to New York Post, a New Yorker with two of his friends went missing last week during a hike on a remote, treacherous trail in northern California.
Authorities have finally recovered their dead bodies and found that they died last week after jumping into the waterfall.
44-year-old Matthew Anthony from New York, with five others, went on a hike in Soda Springs, about three miles off Donner Pass, a 7,000-foot-high alpine trail in the northern Sierra Nevada.
After hiking, he, along with two of his friends, Valentino Creus and Matthew Schoenecker, both 50 years old from Los Angeles, decided to jump into Rattlesnake Falls to cool off, but after taking the plunge, they never came out.
The other three hikers called 911, and after four days, divers recovered their bodies.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office stated, “It is with heavy hearts that we share that the bodies of the three men have been recovered. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”
All three of the victims volunteered for the International Circle of Genetic Studies, a programme that connects professors to undergraduate and high school students to conduct studies and research in genetics and molecular biology.
The organisation wrote on Facebook, “We regret to inform you that three of our advisors passed away last Wednesday, June 18th, 2025, in an accident near San Francisco. Their names are Dr Mathew Schoenecker, Dr Mathew Anthony and Val Creus, M.S. REQUIESCAM IN PACEM!!!! We give our sympathy to their families.”
The Sheriff’s Office dive team, Search and Rescue Units, CAL Fire’s technical rescue team and California Highway Patrol’s helicopter contributed to the search and rescue mission.
