A 40-year-old man who went missing while hiking was found dead in East County, authorities said Monday.
The man was reported missing Sunday by his family after he failed to return from a hike on El Cajon Mountain in Lakeside, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
The unidentified hiker began his trek around 8 a.m. Saturday on a trailhead located in the 13700 block of Blue Sky Ranch Road.
Officials said the sheriff’s search and rescue Unit, deputies and detectives from the Lakeside sheriff’s substation began searching the area for the missing hiker on Sunday. A sheriff’s helicopter crew also assisted in the search effort.
The body of the missing hiker was found near one of the hiking trails just east of the trailhead around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office reported.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.
