Human Interest Remains of 52-Year-Old Hiker Who Went Missing Last Year Found on California's Mount Baldy Sreenivas Mokkapati went missing while out on a hike through the snow-covered Mount Baldy in December By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 30, 2020 04:07 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department The remains of a 52-year-old California hiker were found months after he went missing on Mount Baldy in December, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced. Sreenivas "Sree" Mokkapati was reported missing on Dec. 8 after he was separated from his hiking group on Mount Baldy, the popular hiking, skiing and snowboarding destination located an hour's drive from Downtown Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, the mountain was covered in snow at the time of Mokkapati's disappearance, and nighttime temperatures were near freezing. A team of 126 people went out in search of Mokkapati, but their efforts were called off days later when 32-year-old Timothy Staples — a 9-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department — fell from the mountain and died, the Mercury News reported. The department continued to use aerial searches in hopes of locating Mokkapati and returned on foot once the snow began to melt in May. Rescuers Search for 3 Hikers Who Went Missing in Mount Rainier National Park on Separate Trips Getty Images Two hikers ultimately found Mokkapati's remains on the northwest side of the mountain on June 19, the department said. The county medical examiner confirmed the remains were Mokkapati's on June 27. Relatives told the Times that Mokkapati was an experienced hiker who had trekked Mount Baldy — known officially as Mount San Antonio — many times. He had only prepared for a day's hike when he went missing in December. Elderly Hiker, 76, Who Went Missing on Northern Calif. Trail for Over 24 Hours Found Alive: Police On the day of his disappearance, Mokkapati and three friends planned to travel to the mountain's summit using the Bear Flat Trail path, according to Mercury News. The trail is ranked as "moderate" in difficulty on the hiking website All Trails, and was described as "very steep and rocky" by one member. RELATED VIDEO: 24-Year-Old Hiker Falls to His Death in Hawaii While Trying to Retrieve Hat While making their way up, Mokkapati's companions returned down the mountain due to the heavy snow that had accumulated on the trail, Mercury News reported. Mokkapati decided to continue toward the summit and told them he would meet them later.