Trails on Mount Baldy in California in December 2024.Mario Tama / Getty Images

Three hikers were found dead near a popular mountain trail in Southern California after powerful winds hampered search-and-rescue crews, authorities said Tuesday.

A recovery effort on Mount Baldy, also known as Mount San Antonio, east of Los Angeles, continued, the San Bernardino County Sheriff`s Department said in a news release.

The hikers have not been identified.

The dangerous conditions and the rescue efforts on Mount Baldy, which, at more than 10,000 feet, is the tallest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, prompted authorities to close the area, the department said Tuesday.

"The temporary closure of Mt. Baldy trails is necessary to prevent additional emergencies and protect lives," Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement.

The order will remain in effect through Wednesday night.

The hikers were found dead Monday night, hours after a hiker told authorities that his 19-year-old hiking companion had fallen hundreds of feet near Devil`s Backbone, a widely used trail that ascends Mount Baldy.

An aerial search crew spotted the injured hiker, but severe winds prevented it from completing the rescue, the department said. The crew located two other people who the release said had not been identified.

The region has been battered in recent days by Santa Ana winds, the Southern California phenomenon that can topple trees and power lines. The National Weather Service warned of gusts that could reach 85 mph Monday in Los Angeles-area mountains.

At 7:30 p.m., the crew attempted another rescue effort that was unsuccessful, but an air medic was hoisted down and confirmed that all three people were dead, the sheriff`s department said.

The release did not provide additional details about the two unidentified hikers. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Hours after the first failed rescue effort on Devil`s Backbone, a search team carried out a separate rescue operation on a different trail on Mount Baldy, the sheriff`s department said in a news release.

A hiker who fell roughly 100 feet near Ontario Peak Trail was rescued via hoist, according to the release.

"Please prepare adequately before hiking, bring appropriate supplies, avoid hiking during inclement weather conditions, carry a global positioning satellite (GPS) device, and only hike on open and designated trails," the department said.