A Californian hiker was pronounced dead after a tragic accident that saw her fall down a steep, icy hill.

On Sunday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (SBSD) announced that Crystal Paula Gonzalez-Landas, an avid hiker, had succumbed to her injuries after sliding down an estimated 500 to 700 feet on a steep and icy hillside at Baldy Bowl, Mount Baldy in California.

As per a GoFundMe page that was set up, the family paid tribute to the mom-of-four.

"On Sunday, January 8th 2023, it pains us to share, we lost a beautiful soul (our mother) in a tragic accident," the description started.

"Crystal Paula Gonzalez-Landas. Many know her as the dancing hiking queen or hiker for life. She’s known in the community for her fearless hikes and [a] daily dose of inspiration.

"More importantly, she was an amazing mother of four, a sister, and a friend to everyone she met. She is the personification of strength, love, and beauty. She was a beacon of light to everyone who knew her and was always ready to lend a helping hand.

"During this difficult time, the family would appreciate any donations to help lay her to rest. More than anything we just ask that you please share any memories or pictures you shared with her," the post continued.

"We hope her life, her story, and pictures can give the love we shared with her to someone else."

Prior to the incident, the 56-year-old posted a video to Facebook dressed in a fluorescent-green sports jacket with a headlamp on to help her navigate her surroundings in the dark.

"It's go time! Lots of people out today," she can be heard saying in the 14-second clip.

In a press release dated January 8, 2023, the SBSD explained that the Sheriff's Dispatch received a call from California Office of Emergency Services in reference to an SOS message from a Garmin InReach device.

"The message reported that someone had just fallen down the Baldy Bowl in Mt. Baldy. The information was relayed to the Fontana Sheriff's Station for immediate response," the report stated.

Using coordinates from the Garmin InReach device to help locate Gonzalez-Landas, a patrol helicopter was sent out to assist at the scene. Other hikers were already on site, helping the distraught mom in any way that they could.

A medic was sent down to assess the hiker's "substantial" injuries, but before she could be taken to a nearby medical facility, she sadly passed away.

The report also added that this wasn't the first incident of this nature that resulted in a fatality.

"Many fall victims are reported on the same mountain in the winter season. We encourage hikers to please come prepared and hike responsibly. Wear appropriate clothing for the colder weather conditions and have the proper snow and ice gear with you," it concluded.

Rest in peace, Crystal Paula Gonzalez-Landas. Our thoughts are with her friends and family at this difficult time.

Featured Image Credit: Maksym Krysiuk / Alamy

Tragedy struck earlier this week on the rugged terrain of Bear Mountain, Arizona, as California mom Zaynab Joseph sadly died during a family hike.

The 40-year-old mother plunged 140 feet to her death while trekking with her husband and baby on Monday, as concerned witnesses followed her harrowing cries for help.

Rescue efforts were swift but sadly, Joseph succumbed to her injuries shortly after being discovered by fellow hikers, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

One of the hikers immediately went down the embankment where Joseph was still breathing at the time.

While her husband and child were airlifted to safety, the heartbreaking loss of Joseph has left a community reeling with grief.

The Joseph family, visiting from California, had been enjoying a getaway in Sedona, lodging at an Airbnb. As authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident, loved ones are left grappling with the incomprehensible loss.

In a poignant tribute, a woman identifying herself as the victim's sister shared heartfelt words, describing Joseph as having "a heart of gold."

“No words can describe the pain our families are going through, especially her husband and three young children,” Farwa Zaidi wrote in a Facebook post.

Leila Hassan shared on Facebook that Joseph was “a friend and a sister of my Islamic community.”

“The community is in shock,” she wrote. “Please keep her family in your prayers to get through this tough time.”

With the investigation ongoing, questions linger about the exact circumstances leading to Joseph's fatal fall on what's described as a challenging hike through the untamed wilderness of Bear Mountain.

Bear Mountain has been described by the US Forest Service as a “strenuous hike” because “it’s mostly unshaded, steep and difficult in places.”

The trail in Sedona, listed as "hard" on the AllTrails hiking app, presents a challenge with its approximately 2,000 feet of elevation gain over just over two miles to reach the peak.

Described as rugged by the site, the trail features sections where hikers traverse pure rock with an almost vertical drop, prompting the recommendation to wear shoes with excellent traction.

"It's a rugged trail," the AllTrails site says. "Some sections are on pure rock at an almost vertical drop. Wear shoes with good traction!"

Recent hikers share experiences of rock scrambling and encountering "quite steep" conditions along the trail.

Featured image credit: Mark Brodkin Photography / Getty

Geraldine Largay, 66, was making her way through the popular Appalachian Trail in the Eastern US before going missing.

The tragic incident resulted in the elderly woman sadly passing away.

It is believed that the Tennessee native survived for 26 days in the wild before her death, with her body remaining missing for two years.

'Gerry', as she is known to loved ones, went missing on July 22, 2013, after stepping off the Appalachian Trail to relieve herself, before getting lost between West Virginia and Mount Katahdin, Maine.

A picture of Gerry taken on the morning of the day she disappeared, eerily, remained as the most substantial clue.

The former air force nurse was missing for over two years until authorities discovered her remains in the wild.

The senior citizen vanished while on her hike. Credit: Maine Warden Service

How were Gerry's remains found?

Gerry was discovered by Lieutenant Kevin Adam, a forester employed by the US Navy, on October 16, 2015.

It came after at least three K9 units came within 100 yards of her campsite, though they failed to find the missing woman or her body.

Reports from the Boston Globe, which included a 1,500-page study into Gerry's disappearance and death, included statements from Lieutenant Adam, admitting he found a "possible body" in October 2015.

He recalled thinking: "The possibilities were: it was a human body; it was animal bones, or if it was a human body, was it Gerry Largay?"

Tragically, Gerry's husband, George Largay, was not far away on the morning she vanished, as he used the Route 27 Crossing, which was approximately a 22-mile trek from the shelter where Gerry was last seen.

Gerry's final texts to her husband

Documents revealed that she had tried several times to get in touch with George after becoming lost.

The first of these messages were typed at about 11AM on the day she went missing, and it read: "In somm trouble. Got off trail to go to br. Now lost. Can u call AMC to c if a trail maintainer can help me. Somewhere north of woods road. XOX."

However, she did not have a great cellular signal, so the text message never reached her husband.

Sadly, over the next 90 minutes, she would text her husband another 10 times, asking for help, before deciding to settle down for the night.

The next day, she sent another undelivered text at 4:18PM, reading: "Lost since yesterday. Off trail 3 or 4 miles. Call police for what to do pls. XOX."

Her remains would be discovered at her makeshift campsite, along with her notebook, which was covered in moss and titled "George Please Read XOXO".

The notebook detailed that she had spent two days wandering aimlessly after taking a wrong turn, and wardens were able to paint a picture of Gerry's final days thanks to her journal entries and unsent texts, according to the Daily Record.

Gerry was alone on the hike when she went missing. Credit: Facebook

One of Gerry's final messages to loved ones

A particular journal entry was one of Gerry's last messages to loved ones, penned on August 6, 2013.

She wrote: "When you find my body, please call my husband George and my daughter Kerry.

"It will be the greatest kindness for them to know that I am dead and where you found me – no matter how many years from now.

"Please find it in your heart to mail the contents of this bag to one of them."

In addition to her body, other items were found at the campsite, including maps, a space blanket, string, a working torch, a blue baseball cap, a rain jacket, dental floss, and a handmade necklace.

George told the Brentwood Home Page in 2013 that hiking the Appalachian Trail was "not on my bucket list," but noted that his wife needed help.

"But she needed to be supported on the hike, because she had limits on what she could carry, so I simply had to say, 'OK, suck it up. What's six months in the grand scheme of things?' So I did it," he said.

Jane Lee, one of Gerry's close friends, completed a chunk of the trail with her before being called away with a personal emergency, and she had told wardens that Gerry struggled to keep pace and wasn't the best with a compass.

George was not too far from Gerry on the day that she went missing. Credit: Facebook

Gerry's family's heartfelt statement

The woman's family released an official statement following her death, reading: "After all of the communication and information from everyone involved, including the Medical Examiner's Office, Navy, and the Maine Attorney General's Office, these findings are conclusive in that no foul play was involved and that Gerry simply made a wrong turn shortly after crossing Orbeton Stream.

"We wish to thank all of those who gave their time and prayers while searching for our wife, sister, mother, and grandmother. We especially would like to thank the entire Maine Warden Service for their dedication to this case.

"It became apparent from day one that this was personal to them and they would not rest until Gerry was found.

"Now that we know her death was an accident, we again ask all media for the respect of our privacy as we continue our grieving process with this new chapter of closure."

Featured image credit: Facebook

A mother who was reported missing while hiking in Arizona has sadly been found deceased, with her death appearing to be heat related.

Jessica Christine Lindstrom, 34, from Oregon, went hiking at around 08:30AM local time on Friday, and concerns were raised when she hadn't returned a few hours later.

As reported by the Associated Press, the Phoenix Fire Department officially declared Lindstrom missing after police confirmed that she was last seen hiking in the Deem Hills Recreation Area near 51st Drive and Deem Hills Parkway.

Rescue teams went looking for the missing 34-year-old with the aid of drones, and after five hours of searching, her body was discovered on a remote trail.

Investigators have concluded that her death is not suspicious, and it appears that she succumbed to the heat while hiking - though an official cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

Her father told KTVK/KPHO that Lindstrom was in the area for her son's christening, and having previously lived in Arizona, she was familiar with the routes that she was hiking.

A GoFundMe page has since been set up for the 34-year-old's family, and it further details the heartbreak being experienced by her loved ones.

Angela Adams, Lindstrom's mother, penned: "Our family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our family, friends, strangers, and hundreds throughout our community who showed up to help us in every way.

"To those first responders who answered the call, spending the entire day organizing the search efforts, we can’t thank you enough. To the hundreds who dropped everything to brave the heat and help us search for Jessica, we cannot thank you enough.

"We have been so overcome with the selfless service, the love, and the prayers that you have shown. We wish that we could thank each of your personally as you continue to reach out to our family, but please know that right now that is just not possible. We do feel all the love and prayers, and they continue to sustain us as we travel this new path."

The fundraising page states that the money raised will go towards funeral arrangements and providing financial support for Lindstrom's husband and children. At the time of writing, over $37,000 has been raised from a target of $50,000.

According to the AP, July was the hottest month on record for Phoenix as temperatures soared to an average temperature of 102.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Phoenix Fire Department has stressed the importance of taking the heat seriously and to make safety precautions if venturing out on a hike.

The New York Times reported that at least seven people have lost their lives in heat-related incidents in the Southwest this summer, with a particular focus on national and state parks.

Our thoughts are with Lindstrom's family at this time.

Featured image credit: Matt Mawson/Getty