Latest news with #MatthewAnthony
CBS News
10 hours ago
- CBS News
Bodies recovered of 3 hikers who went missing in water near Rattlesnake Falls
Authorities have now identified the three people who went missing in the water near Rattlesnake Falls in Soda Springs. The Placer County Sheriff's Office said a group of six men was hiking in the area. One of the people in the group called 911 shortly before 3 p.m. to report that three others went into the water and never resurfaced. A California Highway Patrol helicopter and other resources, including sheriff's office dive and search teams, were deployed to the remote area to assist with the search. Initially, the sheriff's office said the search was happening in the area near Heath Falls. Deputies later said the men were believed to have jumped into the water at Rattlesnake Falls. Thursday, the sheriff's office stated that a dive team was flown to the area to help with search efforts. The search operations were suspended on Thursday due to poor underwater visibility caused by debris and strong currents, the sheriff's office said. Increasing winds also made it unsafe to fly in. On Friday, deputies said the search will be in a limited but continuous fashion. The bodies of the three hikers were found on Sunday, the Sheriff's Office said. According to the Placer County Sheriff's Office, the three people whose bodies have been recovered have been identified as 59-year-old Los Angeles resident Valentino Creus, 50-year-old Los Angeles resident Matthew Schoenecker, and 44-year-old New York City resident Matthew Anthony. The sheriff's office noted that the location is remote and takes about a three-hour hike to reach.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
NYC resident, 2 others drown after jumping into California waterfall during hike
A New Yorker and two of his friends leapt to their deaths last week when they jumped into a waterfall during a hike on a remote, treacherous trail in northern California, according to authorities. Matthew Anthony, 44, of New York City, and five other hikers set off into the woods Wednesday in Soda Springs, about three miles off Donner Pass, a 7,000-foot-high alpine trail in the northern Sierra Nevada. 3 Rough terrain and brutal conditions made the recovery effort for the bodies three hikers who died after plunging into a waterfall particularly difficult. Placer County Sheriff's Office Advertisement After hiking rough terrain for three hours, Anthony and two of his friends, Valentino Creus, 50, and Matthew Schoenecker, 50, both from Los Angeles, decided to cool off by jumping into Rattlesnake Falls, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said. The men never came out of the water after they took the plunge. The other three hikers in their group called 911 and rescue workers began a frantic search. After three days, divers recovered their bodies, police said. Advertisement 'It is with heavy hearts that we share that the bodies of the three men have been recovered,' the sheriff said in a statement. 'Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.' The three victims volunteered for the International Circle of Genetic Studies, a program that connects professors of genetics and molecular biology to undergraduate and high school students to conduct studies and research in the field. 'We regret to inform you that three of our advisors passed away last Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 in an accident near San Francisco,' the organization wrote in a statement on Facebook. 'Their names are Dr. Mathew Schoenecker, Dr. Mathew Anthony and Val Creus, M.S. REQUIESCAM IN PACEM!!!! We give our sympathy to their families.' Advertisement 3 Rescue workers encountered challenging conditions during their efforts to recover the bodies of three hikers. Placer County Sheriff's Office The Sheriff's Office's dive team, Search and Rescue Units, CAL Fire's technical rescue team and California Highway Patrol's helicopter all contributed to the search. The three hikers who didn't jump were taken off the trail by a helicopter while the search continued for their friends. Rescue workers were initially confronted by powerful winds, poor visibility, debris and strong currents, limiting their search, according to the sheriff's office. Advertisement On Sunday, conditions cleared up and the search resumed. A local diver, Juan Heredia, was part of the team that found the bodies. He did four dives of almost 3 minutes each in deep, ice-cold water, he wrote in a social media post. 3 It took rescue workers days to recover the bodies of three hikers who died after plunging into a waterfall. Placer County Sheriff's Office 'We couldn't wait. I knew it could take weeks to surface,' he wrote. 'Families needed to close this chapter already.' He got the signal to go into the water at 9 p.m., he said. A sergeant told him, 'We're going to send a team to walk right now to take care of the bodies.' He described swimming against the waterfall as 'brutal.' '[It] was pushing me hard,' he wrote. 'But I wouldn't leave without those 3 souls.'
