French pilot dies after 1,000-foot fall from Mount Whitney during LA stopover

A French pilot was found dead hiking in California after a two-day search in Mount Whitney, the National Park Service said Friday.

Tom Gerbier, 38, reportedly fell 1,000 feet during a hike at California's Sequoia National Park this week, according to a parks service representative. The Air France pilot began his hike early Tuesday morning up the tallest mountain in the continental U.S. He was reported missing Wednesday when he didn't show up for his return flight.

Ground teams for the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office began searching for the Fontenay-sous-Bois, France native Wednesday with no result, the representative said. By Thursday, park and police authorities searched through Whitney's mountaineering route and found clues that the hiker may have fallen off a cliff named "The Notch."

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The parks service helicopter found a motionless hiker wearing clothing that matched Gerbier's description. His body was transferred to Tulare County Sheriff’s Office via helicopter where authorities confirmed his identity.

Air France said in a statement that their former employee had been on a stopover in Los Angeles, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

“The company offers its most sincere condolences to his family and loved ones,” the airline said in the statement.

Gerbier's death is the second fatality for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in 2023.

Mount Whitney stands more than 14,500 feet tall and its most popular route, the Mount Whitney Trail, is a 22 miles round-trip.