Hiker suffers fatal heart attack on popular Riverside hiking trail
RIVERSIDE, Calif., — Authorities say a man who suffered a cardiac event died while hiking along a popular Riverside trail in the Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park early yesterday morning, Friday, Aug. 13. The well-traveled 8.5 mile 2 Trees Trail begins just northeast of University of California Riverside and eventually leads to the well-known “M” perched high atop Box Springs Mountain.
The victim, whose name has not yet been released, had been hiking along the trail when he suffered the heart attack that ultimately led to his death. The park where the trail is located is off Blaine Street, east of Riverside and north of Moreno Valley.
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Emergency personnel were notified of the crisis and inaccessible rescue around 6:47 a.m., according to a CAL FIRE-Riverside County Fire Department social media release. It was not immediately known if the victim called 911 to report having a medical emergency or if he was with someone else who made the call for him.
In addition to visiting the iconic “M” perched atop Box Springs Mountain, hikers of the 2 Trees Trail in Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park are treated to a variety of interesting sights including the area’s wild burros who roam the park freely. Shauni Calhoun photos
When firefighters, paramedics and sheriff’s deputies arrived they hiked about .4 of a mile up the trail, where they found a man down along the dirt path.
“Crews arrived on scene of an adult male in cardiac arrest,” CAL FIRE explained in an update to their original release.
“Firefighter paramedics began performing advanced life support,” officials continued; adding, “Despite all efforts made, the patient perished at the scene.”
Deputies from the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station are investigating the victim’s passing, with the Coroner’s Office assisting.
No further details have been released.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.