Hiker’s Body Discovered in Angeles Forest

An all-night search for a Montrose hiker in the Angeles National Forest ended tragically Saturday afternoon with the discovery of his body.

Around 1 p.m., the pilot of a rescue helicopter spotted the body of Jong Hahm, 53, in a canyon about 300 feet below Strawberry Peak. A doctor on board the helicopter rappelled into the canyon and pronounced Hahm dead.

After Hahm failed to return from a Friday afternoon hike in the Colby Canyon area of the forest, his family called authorities, said Cmdr. Don Bee of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Crescenta Valley station. The canyon was one of Hahm’s favorite spots in the vast recreation area.

Before calling the sheriff’s office, Hahm’s wife, Jun, went to the Colby Canyon area where she found her husband’s tan Ford Explorer by the 34.5 mile marker on the Angeles Crest Highway, Bee said.

A Montrose search and rescue team began looking for Hahm, an experienced hiker, around 1:30 a.m.

Later in the day, about 30 people had joined the search, including teams from Altadena, Sierra Madre and Los Angeles County.

It appeared Hahm had fallen a considerable distance, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Walter Wiley.

The cause of Hahm’s death won’t be determined until an autopsy is completed, officials said.

Wiley said he did not know how many people had died in the Angeles National Forest in recent years. But, he added, “I do know for a fact that it is a very dangerous place, and people get lost and hurt and killed up there all the time.”

As safety precautions, Wiley advised hikers and others who use the area to travel in pairs or larger groups; to carry food, water and extra clothing in case of sudden rain or unexpected cold weather; to carry a cell phone; and to let others know where they plan to be and when they plan to return.