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Two rock climbers were found dead near a Southern California peak after rescue crews responded to reports of injuries, authorities said.
Rescuers were called around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to Tahquitz Rock near Idyllwild following a distress call, the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said on Twitter.
A team managed to climb into the steep, remote area and found both the climbers dead at the scene, the department said.
While one climber remains unidentified, multiple reports have identified the other climber as Long Beach firefighter and former NFL player Gavin Escobar.
The Long Beach Fire Department confirmed Escobar’s death Thursday afternoon, adding that he began working with the department in February.
Escobar, a tight end out of San Diego State, played five years with the Dallas Cowboys, for whom he scored eight touchdowns.
A small amount of rain fell in the area earlier in the day, but officials didn’t immediately say if weather was a factor in the deaths.
Tahquitz Rock, with its steep granite cliffs, is a popular destination for climbers.
Two climbers from Los Angeles fell 200 feet (60 meters) to their deaths on the rock in 2000, according to the L.A. Times.
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