Tustin Marine’s Body Found in Sequoia Canyon

Rescue teams Saturday retrieved the body of a Marine stationed at the Tustin Marine Corps Air Station who apparently fell while hiking from the top of a waterfall into a rugged Sierra canyon about 100 feet below, a spokeswoman for the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks said.

The hiker, Sgt. Larry Stephens, 31, of Riverside, was identified by his military tags, said Malinee Crapsey, a parks spokeswoman in Visalia.

A team of four climbers flew to the site in Sequoia National Park on Saturday, scaled down the cliff and brought the body to a nearby meadow, from where it was taken by helicopter to the park headquarters, Crapsey said.

The search for Stephens began Friday after a backpack was found near the bottom of a waterfall leading to Kern Canyon at 4:30 p.m., Crapsey said.

His body was found nearly two hours later, but rescue teams were not able to reach the site before nightfall.

“It would appear he fell from the breaking of brush; there’s a path through the brush,” Crapsey said.

Stephens’ wife contacted park officials Monday, the day after her husband failed to show up as planned at the Onion Valley trail head on the east side of the park.