Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar was found dead Wednesday in an apparent rock climbing accident near Idyllwild, California. He was 31.
The Riverside County sheriff’s coroner’s office on Thursday identified Escobar along with one other climber, 33-year-old Chelsea Walsh. Firefighters found them dead after a climbing accident involving two people was reported around noon Wednesday near Tahquitz Rock in the San Bernardino National Forest.
Officials indicated Escobar and Walsh died at the scene while climbing a “rock face.”
A small amount of rain fell in the area earlier in the day, but officials didn’t immediately say if weather was a factor in the deaths.
Escobar was the Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2013 and spent three seasons with them. He also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. He last played in the NFL in 2018, finishing his career with 30 catches and eight touchdowns.
Escobar had been working as a firefighter in Long Beach, California, since February. In a social media post, the Long Beach Fire Department said Escobar leaves behind a wife and two young children.