Dive teams suspended a search on June 19 for three men who may have drowned after jumping into a remote waterfall in Northern California.

A dive team with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office searched for the men who went underwater at Rattlesnake Falls in remote Placer County just before 3 p.m. on June 18.

The team was flown into the area by helicopter to carry out the search operations, the sheriff’s department posted on social media on Thursday.

Authorities say six men in the group were hiking in the area when three of them jumped into the water at the falls and did not resurface.

“Due to the area’s challenging terrain, located several miles in on a steep and difficult hiking trail, [a California Highway Patrol] helicopter was used to evacuate the three remaining hikers Wednesday evening,” the sheriff’s office reported.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area on the afternoon of June 18 in Soda Springs following the reports of the missing men.

Soda Springs, California, is an unincorporated community near Donner Pass.

Multiple resources were deployed for the search, including the dive team, search and rescue units, a rescue team from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), and the CHP aircraft.

Rattlesnake Falls, also known as Palisade Falls, is located on the North Fork American River and is a popular spot for hikers and adventurers.

The falls crash about 50 feet down on the river and are located about seven miles up a canyon, according to waterfallswest.com, a website that focuses on waterfalls of the western United States and Canada.

Earlier this year, in May, a kayaker went missing on the American River in Placer County. Sheriff’s department rescue teams searched for the kayaker who was last seen near the American River confluence and thought to have flipped below No Hands Bridge.

A second kayaker who was onboard was found safe near the rocks by the bridge, according to the sheriff’s office.

Search-and-rescue teams from several agencies help the Placer County Sheriff's Department search for three men who may have drowned in Rattlesnake Falls on the North Fork of the American River in Northern California, on June 18, 2025. (Placer County Sheriff's Department)

The waters on the river were cold and fast-moving at the time, causing an increased risk of incidents.

The North Fork of the American River is known for its clear and often cold water. The river’s water levels are determined by the snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada around Lake Tahoe.

The North Fork has the most difficult whitewater of the three forks of the American River and is popular with whitewater rafters, especially in the spring.