Two hikers were found dead on Mount Whitney in California

CNN
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Two California hikers who went missing from Mount Whitney earlier this week have been found dead, authorities said.

According to a news release from the sheriff’s office Thursday, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center received a call about the overdue hikers around 8:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

The hikers had planned to descend into the Notch area on the Mount Whitney Mountaineer Route and then ski or snowboard back to their camp at Upper Boy Scout Lake, authorities said.

The person who reported the hikers missing had hiked with them and waited at camp for several hours for their return before contacting the sheriff’s office.

The Inyo County search and rescue team searched for the hikers by helicopter and on foot, according to the news release.

“Tragically, both hikers were later found dead,” said a press release from the sheriff’s office in Tulare County, California.

CNN has contacted the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office for more information.

According to the National Park Service, Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States.