A woman and a former NFL player were found dead near a Riverside County peak after rescue crews responded to reports of injuries, authorities said.
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 the climbers dead at the scene, the department said.
Multiple reports and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department have identified one climber as Long Beach firefighter and former NFL player Gavin Escobar.
ESPN identified the other victim as 33-year-old Chelsea Walsh.
The Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Escobar was declared dead at 1:18 p.m., about an hour after the 31-year-old Huntington Beach resident and Walsh were believed to be injured.