Climber Loses Grip on Rescuer, Dies in Fall

A 22-year-old 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 Angeles National Forest, authorities said Sunday.

Thomas Anthony Grijalva of Los Angeles was killed Saturday afternoon while climbing up the cliff beside Switzer Falls in the mountains north of La Canada Flintridge, authorities said.

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

Two witnesses said Grijalva fell at least 70 feet the first time, but was uninjured and started scaling the mountain again.

“He said he was OK and he was going to come back up, and then we saw him climbing up the cliff, straight up,” said Mark Grabfelder, 19, of Glendale, who was at the waterfall with three other friends.

When Grijalva became stuck near the top, he called for the other hikers to help him up. “He was gripping the dirt. He said, ‘Please help me,’ ” said John Lambert, also from Glendale.

Grabfelder said he and another friend formed a human chain to try to rescue Grijalva.

“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.”

Grijalva was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said the mountain was decomposed granite that looks stable, but gives way easily.

Grabfelder was shaken after the unsuccessful rescue effort. “I was almost too scared to climb across the rocks to go back to the car,” Grabfelder said.