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Jaqueline Aguilar De Lao, 33, Identified in Fatal River Sweep on Bridge to Nowhere Trail

Rescuers warn of swift, high water on the East Fork, urging hikers to avoid the route until levels drop.

View of the Bridge to Nowhere set against the San Gabriel Mountains in California’s Angeles National Forest.
Photo of an Angeles National Forest sign.
FILE: The flooded East Fork of California’s San Gabriel River as seen near the confluence with the West Fork.
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Overview

  • The 33-year-old was swept away at the second river crossing around 8 a.m. Sunday during a hike on the Bridge to Nowhere trail, according to the San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team.
  • A multi-agency search involving Los Angeles County fire and sheriff air units located her about an hour later, and the effort shifted to recovery after she was found deceased.
  • Preventive search-and-rescue volunteers were already at the trailhead discussing river-crossing safety when a runner alerted them to the incident.
  • Officials urge the public to stay off the East Fork and the Bridge to Nowhere until a significant drop in water levels, noting multiple hazardous crossings created by recent runoff.
  • The trail’s reopening last summer followed the 2024 Bridge Fire, and forest managers continue to warn of elevated flood and debris risks in the burned watershed.