UPDATE: Redlands Woman Dies After Falling While Hiking At Bonita Falls In Lytle Creek

LYTLE CREEK, Calif. (VVNG.com) — The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division has identified a woman who died Sunday afternoon while hiking at Bonita Falls in Lytle Creek as 52-year-old Lilian Rodriguez of Redlands.

According to California Highway Patrol incident logs, the incident was reported at approximately 3:10 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, 2026, near Bonita Falls, a popular hiking destination in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Initial dispatch information indicated a female hiker had suffered a serious head injury in the falls area. Emergency personnel were advised the woman may have been struck by a rock or branch, prompting a response to the remote location.

Due to the rugged terrain, rescuers encountered difficulties accessing the victim. Incident logs indicated radio communications were limited in the area, and responding personnel were required to hike into the scene.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue personnel were requested to assist with the incident. Responding units later arrived at the scene and confirmed the victim was deceased.

Witnesses who said they were hiking in the Bonita Falls area when the incident occurred later shared their accounts with VVNG.

Jose Reynaud said he was at the waterfall with his family and had spoken with the woman shortly before the incident.

“I talked to the lady as she passed by me. What really happened was she was taking pictures of the waterfall and tried to get a better view, she grabbed a branch which broke on her, she [fell] and hit her head on a rock.”

According to Reynaud, two men immediately began performing CPR and continued life-saving efforts for approximately 20 minutes before emergency personnel arrived.

Another witness, Esmeralda M. Dominguez, said she heard a tree branch break before seeing the woman fall.

“I was there when it happened,” Dominguez wrote. “I heard a tree branch break and I had seen her fall and hit a tree as she rolled down.”

Dominguez said family members and other bystanders rushed to assist the injured woman while waiting for rescuers to reach the scene.

Initial dispatch reports indicated the woman may have been struck by a falling rock or tree branch. However, witness accounts later shared with VVNG suggest the woman was hiking near the waterfall and attempting to get a better view when a branch she grabbed reportedly broke, causing her to fall and suffer fatal injuries.

Authorities have not yet released an official statement detailing the exact circumstances surrounding her death. The investigation remains ongoing.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include eyewitness accounts shared with VVNG after the story was initially published. Authorities have not yet released an official statement detailing the exact cause of the incident.

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