75-year-old hiker dies after falling off Mount Baldy cliff

A 75-year-old man who avidly hiked up Mount Baldy died after falling off a cliff at the treacherous peak Sunday, authorities said.

Rescue teams recovered Raymond Kopecky's body in a canyon below Sugarloaf Peak. A website in Kopecky's name appeared to document his love for the mountains, standing on the throne of Sugarloaf Peak years ago and even rock climbing nearby. 

Search and rescue teams that work in the area said the area is dangerous even for experienced hikers. 

"It's not your normal hiking area. It does require some extra skills and expertise that many folks don't have when they get up here," Eric Vetere, commander of the West Valley Search and Rescue (SAR) Team, said.

Vetere and his team recovered Kopecky's body. However, his team needed to camp overnight after the steep terrain became too dangerous to hike out of. 

"It was very tragic, very unfortunate," Vetere said. "We were happy to get there and bring closure to the family."

The West Valley Search and Rescue Team has brought closer to many families in recent years and has even lost some of their own in the process. In 2019, while searching for Sree Mokhapati, who died hiking on Mount Baldy, veteran team member Tim Staples fell to his death. 

In 2022, actor and mountaineer Julian Sands and several others died while hiking on the mountain. The dozens of rescue missions that the county carries out cost taxpayers millions of dollars. The San Bernardino County Sheriff lobbied the U.S. Forest Service to close the mountain when conditions get too dangerous, especially during the winter when the trail can become icy. His effort to enact a permit process failed since only legislation could codify that rule. 

"If you think this is getting a little sketchy, a little dangerous, turn around," Vetere said. "Don't keep pushing through. Don't allow your friends to keep pushing through."