by Timothy Rutt
As the story of the hiker who fell to his death in Eaton Canyon got sorted out since our breaking report yesterday, the victim was a man in his 20's who was hiking with a female companion near the second waterfall, and fell 30 to 50 feet. The woman was trapped when she tried to help him, and her cries of help alerted another hiker who called authorities about 9:30 AM.
According to Megan O'Neil at our media partner Pasadena Sun, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was airlifted out of the canyon to a field at a nearby school and taken to Huntington Hospital. The extent of her injuries are unknown.
The Associated Press has identified the deceased as John Jutiyasantayanon, 23, of Montclair.
As for the horseback rider on Gould Mesa (whose rescue was going on almost simultaneously) Ana Facio-Krajcer at the Pasadena Sun says the rider was airlifted to a local hospital: "The 50-year-old man, who had back injuries, was riding on a trail at about 10 a.m. when his horse stumbled, causing him to fall into the dry creek bed with the horse falling on top of him." His name and medical condition are not currently available.
