Yahoo Movies Former Dallas Cowboy among 2 rock climbers found dead in California, officials say
Two rock climbers were found dead near a mountain in Southern California, state officials said.
Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar, 31, of Huntington Beach, was one of the deceased, according to media reports and a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff. The other person was Chelsea Walsh, 33, also of Huntington Beach.
Escobar was a 2013 second-round pick out of San Diego State and went on to play six seasons in the NFL. He had been a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys in a backup role from 2013 to 2016, according to the Associated Press. He additionally had brief stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. He concluded his football career in 2019 with the Alliance of American Football, a now defunct football minor league.
After leaving football he became a firefighter for the Long Beach Fire Department, WFAA reports.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the off-duty death of Long Beach Firefighter Gavin Escobar,” the fire department tweeted.
In the hours since the news broke, old teammates and fans have taken to social media to express their condolences.
R.K. Russell, a former defensive end for the Cowboys, tweeted “RIP Gavin Escobar, a great teammate, and man who has gone too soon.”
Tony Casillas, a former Cowboys defensive tackle and sports broadcaster, tweeted “Just heard the news about Gavin Escobar, I’ll never forget announcing his name in the 2014 NFL draft by the Cowboys. Too Soon RIP.”
The Cal Fire / Riverside County Fire Department said they responded to a reported accident near Tahquitz Rock, a popular climbing destination in Idyllwild, shortly after midday on Sept. 28. Idyllwild is a small, sparsely populated community in the San Jacinto Mountains.
Upon arrival, after hiking up a difficult route, they found two dead, according to the fire department.
The incident was handed over to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
A spokesperson for the department said there did not appear to be evidence of foul play, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A hiker died in the same area earlier this year after sustaining injuries from a fall. The death followed others in the same vicinity, leading “one law enforcement agency to warn people to take precautions if hiking,” according to the Desert Sun.
Rock climbing accidents have increased in recent years in the U.S., according to Statista.
McClatchy News editor Lee Williams contributed to this report.
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