Three hikers die after jumping into California waterfall
Search and recovery mission at Rattlesnake Falls ends in tragedy as all three missing men are found dead
Three young men drowned at Rattlesnake Falls after entering the water during a group hike. A multi-day recovery effort ended Sunday when authorities confirmed their bodies had been found.
Three hikers—Matthew Schoenecker and Valentino Creus of Los Angeles, and Matthew Anthony of New York City—were part of a group exploring the remote Soda Springs region in Northern California on Wednesday, June 18. The men reportedly jumped into the water at Rattlesnake Falls and never resurfaced.
The rest of the group, stranded in rough terrain, was rescued by helicopter the next day.
A difficult search in dangerous terrain
Placer County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call around 3 p.m. Wednesday and launched a large-scale rescue mission. The search involved several teams, including the Sheriff’s Dive Team, CAL FIRE’s Technical Rescue Team, and a CHP helicopter.
Officials described the area as “extremely remote and rugged,” which complicated efforts. Heavy weather and dangerous conditions delayed the search on Thursday, though limited efforts resumed on Friday. A full-scale operation was back in motion by Sunday, June 22, once conditions allowed.
That same day, officials confirmed all three bodies had been recovered.
Juan Heredia, a volunteer diver involved in the mission, shared details of the effort on social media. He described a grueling three-hour hike to reach the falls and the physical toll of diving beneath a relentless current.
“The waterfall was brutal. It kept pushing me down… but I wasn’t leaving without bringing those three souls home to their families,” he wrote. Heredia added that without the dive team’s efforts, the bodies may not have surfaced for weeks.
Placer County authorities expressed sympathy in a public statement: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”
Local responders, volunteers, and residents are continuing to grieve the deaths of the three young men, remembered by those who knew them and those who helped bring them home.
