Three men have been confirmed dead after drowning at Rattlesnake Falls, an isolated hiking spot near Soda Springs in Placer County.
On Wednesday afternoon, a group of six hikers alerted law enforcement that three members of their party had jumped into the water and disappeared. Searchers from Cal Fire, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office dive team and a California Highway Patrol helicopter made their way to the location, which the sheriff’s office called “extremely remote and difficult to access.”
Despite searchers’ efforts, the individuals couldn’t immediately be found. In the days that followed, powerful water currents and high winds hampered the recovery efforts, as it was unsafe at times for the helicopter to be in the air.
On Sunday, the sheriff’s office announced three bodies have been located.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the bodies of the three men have been recovered,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”
The men have not been identified, and no further details about the circumstances of their deaths have been released by the sheriff’s office.
