Hiker Falls to Death as Human Chain Breaks

A hiker plummeted 125 feet to his death after losing his grip on a “human chain” that was attempting to rescue him from a steep cliff in the Angeles National Forest, authorities said Sunday.

Thomas Anthony Grijalva, 22, of Los Angeles was killed Saturday afternoon while climbing up a cliff next to Switzer Falls in the San Gabriel Mountains, north of La Canada Flintridge, Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators said.

Grijalva had already fallen once into a shallow pond at the foot of the cliff and was trying to rejoin friends at the top of the falls when he fell a second time, Sheriff’s Sgt. Greg McHenry said.

Two witnesses said Grijalva fell at least 70 feet the first time, but was apparently unhurt and started scaling the cliff.

“He said he was OK and he was going to come back up, and then we saw him climbing . . . straight up,” said Mark Grabfelder, 19, of Glendale, who was with three friends in another hiking group.

When Grijalva became stuck near the top, he called for help.

“He was gripping the dirt. He said, ‘Please help me,’ ” said John Lambert of Glendale.

Grabfelder said he and another friend formed a human chain.

“We thought he might pull us over with him, but I sat down and gave him my leg so he could pull himself up,” Grabfelder said. “He grabbed my shoe, but then he started to slip. I heard him scream and we watched him fall. . . . I was almost too scared to climb across the rocks to go back to the car.”

Grijalva was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said the cliff is mostly decomposed granite, which looks stable but gives way easily.