A hiker died near Three Sisters Falls in the East County after a friend called for help Tuesday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said.
The sheriff's department identified the hiker Wednesday as Nathalie Reed, 20, from Lemon Grove.
The hiking trail near Julian is strenuous with direct sunlight covering much of the route which can present dangerous and even deadly consequences for humans and animals.
In July 2017, eight people were rescued from the trail in one weekend.
Often, emergency responders find hikers severely dehydrated along the trail which they say can be deceiving to anyone who hasn’t hiked in the area before.
“The challenge with Three Sisters is that it’s easy to get down there,” SDSO Search and Rescue Reserve Commander Frank Motley said in a previous interview. “But you forget you have the hard hike back up."
On Tuesday, Reed's friend called for help at 5:49 p.m. When medical personnel, along with deputies arrived, Reed had died.
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Deputies say the hikers were in the middle of the trail heading back up the hill when the incident occurred.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Cleveland National Park rangers suggest hikers set out to see the three waterfalls along this trail in the cooler months of the year and take plenty of water with them.
NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said the temperatures in that part of the county between 5 and 6 p.m. Tuesday were in the mid to upper-60s with a slight breeze.
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