Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, 19, who fatally fell 500 feet (150m) from a trail, was an "avid sailor and outdoorsman", his family says.

Three hikers, including a 19-year-old who fell approximately 500 feet (150m), have been found dead on Mt Baldy, a looming snow-capped mountain known to be one of the most dangerous to climb in Southern California.

Rescue workers found Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, 19, dead and discovered two other dead hikers during the search, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The other two hikers were not hiking with the teenager, and it is not clear how long they had been deceased on the mountain.

Casanova went hiking on 29 December with a friend who was able to call for help after the teen fell. The friend had to hike away from the fall site near the Devil’s Backbone trail to an area with cell reception and provided their GPS location to rescue crews, authorities said. That companion was unharmed.

Due to high winds, emergency crews were unable to complete a recovery operation by helicopter on Monday, but were able to recover the bodies on Tuesday.

The sheriff’s office said it had rescued five other hikers from the mountain in the previous five days.