Autopsy Shows Hiker Fell To Her Death On Mt. Baldy

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — An autopsy showed a 49-year-old woman who lived in Venice fell to her death on the highest mountain in Los Angeles County, a coroner's investigator said Saturday.

The body of Michelle Yu was recovered on Mt. Baldy Thursday morning by helicopter.

An autopsy conducted Friday revealed Yu died of multiple blunt injuries suffered in a fall while hiking, Deputy Coroner Jerry McKibben told City News Service.

Yu had signed a trail register about 8:30 a.m. Dec. 4, before heading out for a 6-mile hike. Her roommate reported her missing the following day and soon thereafter a search operation began.

Friends and family of Yu described her as an experienced hiker who trained and climbed Mt. Baldy every weekend. Though she normally went out for day hikes and climbed with little or no overnight gear, friends and family said she was a strong woman who could survive for days in the mountains, if necessary.

Her body was discovered Wednesday in an icy, snowy area called Fish Forks nearly 8,000 feet up the mountain.

However, it was too icy and slippery and treacherous to bring out her body by ground.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)