At a Glance
- A 19-year-old hiker died after falling 500 feet from Mt. Baldy’s Devil’s Backbone Trail
- Since the tragedy, rescuers have responded to 15 calls, two more deaths, and four injuries on the mountain
- Ken and Fabiola Muench Casanova want winter hiking permits and mandatory safety videos
- Why it matters: The family warns that icy conditions can turn a routine hike into a deadly mountaineering route
Ken and Fabiola Muench Casanova spoke publicly Monday to share the final moments before their 19-year-old son Marcus fell to his death on Mt. Baldy. They hope new safety rules will spare other families the same grief.
Final Call: “Everything Seemed Fine”
Marcus phoned his parents moments before the accident.
“(He said) it was super fun. ‘We are stopping for lunch. Everything seemed fine,'” Ken Casanova told News Of Losangeles. “In fact, they made it through what seemed to be the sketchy part.”
Shortly after that call, rescuers received reports that Marcus had slid 500 feet down the Devil’s Backbone Trail.
15 Rescues, 2 More Deaths Since January
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department data show a spike in incidents:
- 15 search-and-rescue calls on Mt. Baldy since Marcus died
- Two additional fatalities
- Four hiker injuries
The department uses social media alerts and is planning a safety workshop, but the Casanovas say that is not enough.
“It’s No Longer a Hike”
Ken Casanova described the winter transition that caught his son off guard.
“After a certain date, Mt. Baldy stops being a hike. It’s no longer a hike,” he said. “It becomes a mountaineer route. The difference between a hike and a mountaineering route is the difference between life and death.”
He called Marcus’s death “entirely preventable.”
Permit Proposal: Watch, Quiz, Print
The parents propose a winter permit system modeled on other peaks:
- Mandatory two-and-a-half-minute safety video
- Short quiz
- Printable permit
“That’s it you need for Mt. Baldy. Do you have your permit? If not, you must watch this two-and-a-half minute video, answer this quick quiz and print it out. That’s it,” Ken Casanova said.
A Tattoo and a Scholarship Fund
Ken and Fabiola had Marcus’s name tattooed on them in what they describe as a “desperate attempt” to stay connected.
“The depth of our pain is unimaginable,” Ken Casanova said. “We will survive, but it feels unsurvivable at the moment. If we can do anything to save somebody else, this is a horrible to be in, and I don’t any other parent to be there.”
The family is raising money for scholarships that will give underserved youth outdoor experiences in Marcus’s memory.
Who Was Marcus Casanova
- Graduate of Los Alamitos High School
- Sophomore at Santa Clara University
- Sailing instructor for three years at Leeway Sailing Center, Long Beach
- Described by family as “avid sailor and outdoorsman”
Key Takeaways
- Even prepared hikers can misjudge winter conditions on Mt. Baldy
- The sheriff’s department has tracked a sharp rise in rescues
- A simple permit system could force visitors to recognize the seasonal risks
- The Casanovas channel grief into scholarships and safety advocacy
