On Saturday, November 29, 2025, the San Bernardino Coroner’s Office positively identified the deceased woman as Aryan Papoli. Papoli had been reported missing in Newport Beach and the death investigation is ongoing.
SUMMARY: On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 11:42 a.m., deputies from the Twin Peaks Station responded to Highway 138 and Crestline Road for a found deceased person. When deputies arrived, they located the decedent about 75 feet down a steep embankment.
Please refer to the original press release. “Unidentified Woman Found Deceased on Side of Mountain; Investigation Ongoing to Identify Her” from SBSD – Headquarters : Nixle
Jane Doe, #162-25 is 48-60 years old, 5’1” tall and 115 lbs. She has bleached blonde hair, brown eyes, no tattoos. She was wearing a blue sweatshirt, blue pants, white and black New Balance shoes.
Anyone with information about the identity of the deceased female is asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Division at 909-387-2978 and reference case number 702507482. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to wetip.com.
Terrain Risk: The Crestline Cutoff and Highway 138 corridor runs through steep, mountainous terrain with cliffs and embankments. Emergency crews often perform technical rescues in this region when vehicles or individuals go over the side.
Pattern of Incidents: While most reports involve vehicle rollovers or crashes on Highway 138, there have been cases where individuals ended up down slopes or cliff areas, requiring recovery by fire and rescue teams.
Falls are a significant cause of fatalities in California’s mountains and other rugged areas, though exact statewide numbers are hard to isolate. Here’s what available data and patterns show:
National Park & Mountain Data
- Across U.S. national parks (including California sites like Yosemite and Sequoia), falls and slips account for about 478 deaths from 2007 to 2024, making them one of the top three causes of accidental deaths in parks.
- On average, 243 people die annually on lands managed by the National Park Service, and falls are consistently among the leading causes of these fatalities.
- In California’s high-risk peaks, such as Mount Whitney, fatalities from falls occur every year. Recent data shows 1–4 deaths annually on Mount Whitney alone, often due to slips on steep terrain or rockfall.
Why Falls Happen
- Steep, exposed trails and loose rock.
- Lack of experience or proper gear (crampons, ice axes in snow conditions).
- Weather changes and fatigue.
Bottom Line
Falls are not the most common outdoor fatality (drowning and vehicle crashes rank higher), but they remain a major risk in California’s mountainous regions, especially on popular high-elevation trails.