Distraught mother loses her only child to mountaineering accident

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:18, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 18:21, 8 June 2026 A heartbroken mother lost her only child after he fell more than 40ft during a horrific hiking accident in Arizona.  Gilbert Ortiz, 31, visited South Mountain in Phoenix on Friday afternoon with his brother when tragedy struck, the Phoenix Fire Department said. It's unclear what exactly caused the fatal fall, but authorities do not suspect foul play, according to the agency. At the time of his death, Gilbert's mother, Marie Ortiz, was more than a thousand miles away, panicking in Oregon, she said.  'I don’t know what happened, and just knowing he was by himself, and it really hurts,' Marie told AZ Family.  His tearful mom added: 'I couldn’t help him. I feel so helpless because I can’t even hold his hand.'  She described her beloved son as a go-getter who worked in the automotive technology industry for more than a decade.  According to Marie, Gilbert was just about to pursue a new career in cybersecurity and had planned to move back home to the Pacific Northwest. Gilbert Ortiz, 31, died on Friday afternoon after he fell more than 40ft during a hike at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. He was his mother's only child. (Pictured: Gilbert and Marie) He had gone out with his brother to the popular beauty spot when tragedy struck  As she waits for answers on what happened to her beloved son, Marie said she is focused on getting him back to her so she can say goodbye.  'At this moment, just trying to get him home. I just want my son home,' she said, adding that she would like to bury him with his grandparents.   The emotional mother continued: 'I don’t know how to carry on. He’s my only child.'  A GoFundMe page has since been launched for Gilbert, who has been described as a 'cherished son, grandson, brother, uncle and friend whose kindness, laughter, sense of humor and adventurous spirit touched the lives of so many.'  As of Monday morning, more than $6,000 had been raised to help the grieving family.  When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment, the Phoenix Fire Department said the Phoenix Police Department is conducting the investigation.  The Daily Mail contacted the Phoenix Police Department for more information.   According to Marie, Gilbert was just about to pursue a new career in cybersecurity and had plans to move back home to the Pacific Northwest As she waits for answers on what happened to her beloved son, Marie said she is focused on getting him back to her so she can say goodbye South Mountain Park/Preserve spans across more than 16,000 acres and has over 100 miles of hiking trails, according to the city.  The trails are also known to be used for horseback riding and mountain biking.  The highest point in the park, Dobbin Lookout, sits at 2,330ft-tall, and is popular among both locals and tourists.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.