Rescue teams have recovered a body on Mt. Whitney that may belong to Joseph Brambila, 21-year-old hiker who went missing in early November.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office announced the discovery on Monday in a statement on social media saying:
On November 12, 2025, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible deceased individual on Mt. Whitney. Due to the remote and hazardous location and multiple storms that moved in just after, recovery operations were further complicated and required extensive planning and coordination over several weeks.
On December 15, 2025, following multiple helicopter-assisted and ground operations, the deceased individual was successfully recovered.
Formal identification is pending with the Inyo County Coroner’s Office. We will release further information as it becomes available. While identification is pending, we recognize the difficulty of this situation and extend our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office is aware that the public knows of the reported missing person in the area. Still, we caution anyone from making conclusions until positive identification is made.
Brambila’s disappearance sparked a social media campaign by his family, who sought public assistance in locating him. The body was found in the 99 Switchbacks area of the mountain, which is the tallest in the United States outside of Alaska. Heavy snow initially hampered recovery efforts, but a helicopter was able to retrieve the body after hikers spotted it.
Brambila, from southeast Los Angeles County, was known for his adventurous spirit and love for the mountains. He had previously attempted to climb Mt. Whitney and documented his experiences in self-shot YouTube videos. His last known attempt was on November 11, shortly after his 21st birthday. Luis Buenrostro, a fellow hiker, was one of the last people to see him and reported that Brambila planned to descend by glissading, a risky maneuver.
The Sheriff’s Office is awaiting official identification from the County Coroner, but someone close to Brambila indicated that the clothing on the body resembled what he was wearing when he disappeared. No other hikers have been reported missing on the mountain since Brambila’s disappearance.
Recent Comments