Former Dallas cowboy Gavin Escobar was killed in a walking fall near Idyllwild

IDYLLWILD, Calif. (CNS) — A former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys was one of two hikers killed trying to scale a mountainside east of Idyllwild, authorities said Thursday.

Gavin Escobar, 31, and Chelsea Walsh, 33, both from Huntington Beach, died around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday near the Tahquitz Peak Fire Lookout, southeast of Humber Park, in the San Bernardino National Forest, according to the Sheriff’s Department of Riverside County.

Escobar was a former professional football player who spent four years with the Cowboys and also played for teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at San Diego State University.

He worked as an off-duty firefighter for the City of Long Beach. He joined the agency in February, according to a Facebook post by the department.

Escobar is survived by his wife and two young children, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.

Officials said the victims died while climbing a rock face, but no further details were available.

It was not known whether they were experienced climbers or amateur climbers.

Two witnesses spotted the victims and called 911, managing to get marginal cell phone signal in the remote area.

According to the Riverside County Fire Department, several engine crews and a sheriff’s helicopter crew were dispatched to the site to conduct a search and rescue operation.

Firefighters hiked up a steep path and reached the spot where the victims were discovered at 1:20 p.m

Escobar and Walsh were pronounced dead at the scene.

The matter was escalated to sheriff’s deputies upon discovery.

The investigations are ongoing.