Search teams recovered a body from Mount Whitney while looking for 21-year-old hiker Joseph Brambila, who disappeared after returning to the mountain in November. Officials received an initial report on Nov. 12, but storms and the remote, hazardous terrain delayed recovery efforts until Dec. 15. The Inyo County Coroner’s Office must still formally identify the remains; authorities caution against speculation and say clothing alone is not a positive form of identification.
Body Recovered on Mount Whitney During Search for Missing 21-Year-Old Hiker Joseph Brambila
Joseph Brambila/YoutubeJoseph Brambila
Search teams have recovered a body on California's Mount Whitney as part of the search for 21-year-old hiker Joseph Brambila, who went missing after returning to the mountain in November.
Brambila was last known to be on the mountain on Nov. 11. Friends say he filmed video on the upper slopes and told companions he would take a "short cut" during his descent from Trail Crest — the same area where he had recorded a June glissade video. That earlier clip showed him sliding down snowy slopes using a glissade, a technique that typically requires an ice axe and helmet for safety.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said officials received a report of a possibly deceased person on Mount Whitney on Nov. 12. Recovery operations were delayed by the remote, hazardous terrain and multiple storms that followed the initial report, forcing teams to plan complex helicopter-assisted and ground missions over several weeks.
On Dec. 15, search-and-recovery crews completed multiple helicopter-assisted and ground operations and recovered a body from the mountain, which reaches an elevation of 14,494 feet. The sheriff's office said formal identification is pending with the Inyo County Coroner's Office and asked the public not to draw conclusions until positive identification is made.
"Formal identification is pending with the Inyo County Coroner’s Office. We will release further information as it becomes available," the sheriff's office said, offering condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
A sheriff's spokesperson told PEOPLE that Brambila's family was present during the recovery operation but did not view the remains. The family was informed of the clothing worn by the deceased at the time of recovery; officials noted that clothing alone is not a legal or positive means of identification.
Brambila's girlfriend, Darlene Molina, described him to SFGate as an ambitious and generally well-prepared hiker who had previously shortened hikes when conditions felt unsafe, including trips in Yosemite National Park. "He loves disconnecting from the world and spending time with himself in nature," she said, adding that he often turned his phone off during hikes but recorded vlogs while on the trail.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate and will release updates when formal identification and additional information are available. Authorities ask the public to respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.
