California teacher found dead in Sequoia National Park after being reported missing a day before

Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times on Jul 15, 2025

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A California teacher was found dead in Sequoia National Park a day after being reported missing, according to the National Park Service.

Drew Hall, a 36-year-old boys basketball coach at Golden West High School in Visalia, was reported missing by friends and family in the late hours of Saturday after splitting up with his group earlier that day with the intention of meeting at a designated time later, according to a National Park Service news release. Hall was said to be traversing particularly rugged terrain during the hike, but was also described by park rangers as "fit and active."

The next morning, park rangers and supporting agencies were dispatched to search for Hall, who still hadn't been heard from. He was found deceased by friends and family below Sawtooth Peak — a notoriously difficult 11.5-mile trail — at 3 p.m on Sunday, according to the release.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the hiker. We encourage everyone to take extra precautions and remain vigilant while enjoying the beauty of these National Parks. Safety must always come first," Chief Ranger David Fox said in the release.

This is the fifth fatality and the 60th search and rescue operation that Sequoia and Kings emergency personnel have responded to this year, according to the release. Five of those search and rescues took place in the last weekend, the release added.

It was not made immediately clear by authorities what caused Hall's death.

The National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the frequency of these incidents at the park. However, law firm Panish, Shea & Ravipudi found in an analysis published last year that Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park reported 30 deaths per 10 million park visitors between 2007 and 2024. The analysis ranked Sequoia and Kings Canyon as the 13th most dangerous national park based on deaths per 10 million park visitors, with North Cascades National Park in Washington state named the most dangerous with 601 deaths per 10 million visitors.

"This has been a challenging year for our search and rescue teams," Fox said.

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