California woman on hike missing after being swept away by river in San Gabriel Mountains

LOS ANGELES - The search is underway for a woman who slipped and fell in a river while trying to cross a river near a trail in the Angeles National Forest, authorities said Monday.

The hiker, who was described as a 59-year-old woman, was hiking with friends on the Heaton Flats Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday morning when she lost her footing and the rapid river current swept her downstream, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

The San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team and L.A. County Fire Department responded around 9:50 a.m. on March 9 near Hearton Flats Trail in San Dimas.

In the days since the woman disappeared, the sheriff’s department said it has deployed approximately 60 personnel to the scene, including mountain rescue teams, helicopters and drones. Members of the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau and U.S. Forest Service personnel also assisted.

"In some instances, the search and rescue personnel have been airlifted to certain locations to search due to the treacherous terrain and strong river currents," the sheriff’s department said.

The name of the missing hiker has yet to be released publicly. No further details about the woman were immediately available.

The sheriff's department warned hikers to use extreme caution when crossing streams, rivers or creeks.

"Water is powerful, even in seemingly calmer sections," the department said, adding that hikers should also avoid water that is higher than their knees and test the stability of rocks or logs before crossing.

FOX News contributed to this report.