The former NFL player would have suffered a fatal accident along with another climber, inside the San Bernardino National Forest. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar was found dead after an apparent rock climbing accident near Idyllwild, California . He was 31 years old.
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office identified Escobar Thursday along with climber Chelsea Walsh , 33. Firefighters found both dead after a climbing accident involving two people was reported around noon Wednesday near Tahquitz Rock within the San Bernardino National Forest.
Officials said Escobar and Walsh died at the scene while climbing “a rock wall.”
Escobar was a second round draft pick for the Cowboys in the 2013 NFL Draft , coming out of San Diego State , spending three years with the franchise. He also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs , Baltimore Ravens , Cleveland Browns , and Miami Dolphins . He last played in the NFL during the 2018 season, capping his career with 30 catches and eight touchdowns.
Gavin Escobar last played in the NFL in 2018, most recently working as a firefighter in California. Getty Images
Escobar had been working as a firefighter in Long Beach, California, since last February. In a social media post, the Long Beach Fire Department reported that Escobar leaves behind a wife and two young children.