Rescue crews are scouring a California mountain in search of a college student who vanished during a snowstorm as her friends desperately plead for her to return home.
When She Was Last Seen
Lifei ‘Ada’ Huang, 22, a University of California Irvine student, was last seen February 4 as she embarked on a solo hike up Mount Baldy.
Huang texted her friends to share her plans and sent a video to her boyfriend as she approached the trail parking lot around 1:59 pm.
Her Disappearance
The 22-year-old posted several videos to social media from the trail, panning past snow-covered hills and the steep drop into the valley as rain poured down.
Around two hours later, communications stopped and the El Monte woman disappeared without a trace. Rescue teams began combing the area to no avail.
As night fell, friends grew concerned when they hadn’t heard from her.
What They Said
‘We didn’t go on the trail but we tried,’ Cherry Li told KTLA. ‘We couldn’t do anything because we needed professional help.’
Li explained that she and other friends gleaned Huang’s location from a ping from the Find My Location iPhone app, ‘and that’s all we have.’
Huang was an avid hiker, she said, who often liked to travel alone.
The Efforts So Far
San Bernardino County search and rescue teams began looking for the student – who was last seen wearing a yellow jacket, black goggles and black shoes – at around 2:30 am Monday, but found no signs of her.
They resumed the search Tuesday amid heavy snowfall but were pulled off the trail due to avalanche risks.
Volunteers arrived again on Wednesday, but were unable to continue searching amid life-threatening conditions.
‘I don’t think she’s been to the trails with snowy weather or rain,’ Li said. ‘We just want her to come back home safe.’
Conditions on Mount Baldy can change rapidly, causing hikers to lose visibility in a span of minutes.
Photos posted to Facebook by the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team show the dismal weather on the mountain the day Huang vanished.
The team was dispatched Sunday night to assist three other hikers who ran out of daylight during their summit attempt.
Rescuers can be seen battling thick, wet snowfall as they trudge through at least a foot of powder.
Statement From Officials
In a statement, officials urged the public to stay away from the mountain this week.
‘The weather has effectively buried the mountain in snow and it is highly likely hikers will get into trouble,’ officials said.
‘Resources are stretched to their limits and hikers who get lost may have to wait long periods of time before help is available.’
They added that many hikers, regardless of experience level, ‘underestimate the steep terrain, unpredictable weather, and high winds that present themselves in our mountain areas.’
