This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The body of 76-year-old Henry "Dick" DeRusha has been retrieved from Angeles National Forest, reports ABC7. The hiker was first reported missing on Monday by his son, when he determined his elderly father had not come back from the excursion he'd begun on Friday."DeRusha has been a progressive activist in the Echo Park and Silver Lake areas for decades," notes Altadena Patch. "His Facebook page describes him as a retired shop teacher, nightclub manager, printer and photographer. He was also sailor who had taken his boat on long solo ocean voyages."
DeRusha's wife, Bea, attested that her husband suffered from a heart condition, and that he'd packed enough food to last only the duration of his hike, a trek she described as "experimental." His route began at the Switzer Falls campground near Mount Wilson.
The hiker's body was discovered Monday, but crews needed to wait until daylight Tuesday to recover the remains.
