Woman Dies Rock Climbing Ortega Falls

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A Montclair rock climber fell to her death in a remote area of the Ortega wilderness over the weekend. The 33-year-old woman died after plummeting 200 feet from a waterfall where she was rappelling in Cleveland National Forest, according to the Orange County Coroner, who released her name after notification of next of kin.

Joy Welling perished while hiking in the area of Blue Jay campground Saturday. The man she was rock climbing with, whose name has not been released, was unhurt according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Paul Holaday.

"Rescuers were lowered to where the woman had died, to recover her remains," Holaday said. The Orange County Coroner was waiting for the woman's remains at Caspers Park, midday Saturday.

Both the man and woman were experienced climbers, according to Holaday. "This was the fifth waterfall the pair had repelled Saturday in this remote area of Orange County, near the Riverside County line," Holaday said.

The Orange County Fire Authority was called at 12:30 p.m. to the waterfall near the Blue Jay campground. By 4:30 p.m., the rescue team and the surviving hiker were taken out of the wilderness by search and rescue helicopter. Orange County Sheriff's Department was investigating the fall.

Orange County Fire Authority photo