On January 17, 2026, deputies responded to a report of missing hikers in the area of the 56000 block of East State Highway 74 near Anza. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, a caller reported that four people from their group had gone hiking early that morning and had not returned. Concerned for their safety, another member of the party went searching for them.
The department requested assistance from both the Riverside County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit and the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU). The Aviation Unit located the initial group of lost hikers and hoisted them out safely. They were transported to Lake Hemet Mountain Station for medical evaluation.
The search continued for the additional hiker who had gone looking for the others. The Aviation Unit found this individual near the base of a roughly 150-foot rock face. RMRU personnel reached this hiker and pronounced them deceased at the scene. The Riverside Coroner’s Bureau was contacted and took over the investigation, with RMRU assisting in recovering the body from difficult terrain. Authorities have not released the identity of the deceased hiker.
Sergeant Christopher Brown reported that “This investigation is ongoing, and no additional information is available at this time.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Deputy Francisco Lopez at Hemet Sheriff Station at (951) 791–3400.
For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.
“This investigation is ongoing, and no additional information is available at this time.” – Sergeant Christopher Brown
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