Hiker who died on San Jacinto Peak Trail identified

An 81-year-old Orinda man was identified today as the hiker who was found unresponsive on the San Jacinto Peak Trail and pronounced dead at a fire station in Idyllwild.

Ulrich Luscher, 81, of Orinda was identified by the coroner as the hiker found unresponsive in the wilderness area above the Palm Springs Tram, according to the Riverside County coroner’s office.

The Riverside County Fire Department was contacted about Luscher at 2:29 p.m. Sunday and emergency personnel hiked into the wilderness area to find him, said fire spokeswoman Jody Hagemann.

The coroner estimated his time of death at about 4:30 p.m., when his body was taken to the Keenwild Fire Station on State Highway 243 in Idyllwild.

There were no signs of foul play, the coroner’s office said.