The bodies of a California couple who died in a hiking accident were found in a scenic waterfall near Yosemite.
James Hall, 35, and Monica Ledesma, 34, were located by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office in Angel Falls on Wednesday.
Now their devastated families have revealed that Hall likely fell into the water while trying to rescue mother-of-two Ledesma.
Their bodies were found after police received a frantic phone call about a woman floating in the water.
‘James died a hero trying to save his girlfriend Monica. Unfortunately, they were both taken from us,” his family said in a GoFundMe for your funeral expenses.
James Hall, 35, and Monica Ledesma, 34, died in a tragic hiking accident Wednesday in Angel Falls.
Friends described the couple as a ‘family at heart’ and Ledesma leaves behind an 8-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter.
Rescuers identified Ledesma and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Crews noticed items indicating another person may be missing and began a desperate search for Hall.
Search and rescue teams, along with USFS, Madera County Fire and CALFire, Sierra Ambulance and the California Highway Patrol H-40 helicopter were called to the scene.
‘Officers located items that led them to believe that an adult man may also have disappeared. Search efforts were then initiated to confirm and locate him,” the Madera County Sheriff’s Office said.
“During recovery efforts, a male was also recovered from the water.”
The couple is remembered as “kind, loving and goofy.” Ledesma leaves behind an 8-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter.
“(Monica) was a loving mother, sister and daughter who left behind a daughter and a son,” GoFundMe Ledesma’s family said.
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of Angel Falls (pictured) after receiving a frantic phone call about a woman floating in the water.
After identifying Ledesma, rescuers noticed Hall’s belongings and began desperately searching for him, only to discover his body in the water nearby.
A vigil was held on the Chukchansi Pow Wow grounds for the couple on Friday.
‘Monica and James were important here, they were important because they were family. Unrelated except from memory. Kindness is something that runs through all of them and they were examples,” said her friend Nancy O’Hara. KFSN.
“Not only were they kind and considerate and took care of us old people, but they also took care of the young ones.”
‘Their sense of humor. Especially those are things that when you get older, you really need them in your life,” O’Hara said.
The family said Hall died while trying to save Ledesma during the tragic accident.
The sheriff’s office warns hikers to take extra precautions while on the trail. They warned that rocks can be slippery even when not wet and that water can become extremely fast and cold.
Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said: ‘Our hearts go out to the families of those lost at Angel Falls today.
“We would like to thank our allied partners for their excellent support and response to today’s events, the simultaneous occurrence of which required resources.”
“I applaud the efforts of the rescue and recovery teams, who carried out their duties with diligence and respect.”