Former Dallas Cowboys player Gavin Escobar was one of at least two people confirmed to have died Wednesday following a rock climbing accident, authorities said.
Escobar, a former tight end, and a woman were pronounced dead after rescue officials responded to a 12:30 p.m. distress call around California’s Tahquitz Rock near Idyllwild, California Fire and Riverside County Fire Department said.
WATCH: TEXAS COUPLE SHOCKED TO RECEIVE SMALL ARMORY OF M16S
Rescuers had to climb in a steep and remote area to find the dead climbers, according to a report.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the off-duty death of Long Beach Firefighter Gavin Escobar. Hired on February 5, 2022, Firefighter Escobar was assigned to Fire Station 3 on B-shift. pic.twitter.com/pOgBFnwH9f
— Long Beach Fire (CA) (@LBFD) September 30, 2022
Escobar, 31, and Chelsea Walsh, 33, were identified as the victims of the accident.
The area where the two were climbing had experienced rain Wednesday, but the exact reason for the accident has yet to be released.
Tahquitz Rock is well known for a terrain of steep granite cliffs, the report noted.
Escobar, who had become a firefighter with the Long Beach Fire Department this year, is survived by a wife and two children, according to the report.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Fire Department, Cowboys, and San Diego State, Escobar’s former college team, all posted to their social media accounts in his honor.
