Cause of death revealed for composer Mark Smythe who died on Mount Wilson

A renowned composer who died while hiking on a notorious Southern California mountain trail suffered a cardiac emergency.

Mark Smythe, a 53-year-old New Zealand-born musician, passed away Saturday while climbing Mount Wilson near Sierra Madre, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

The coroner’s online database listed Smythe’s cause of death as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries and can lead to heart attacks.

Emergency crews responded May 9 after reports of a hiker found unresponsive just north of Rescue Ridge on the Mount Wilson Trail, according to the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team.

Friends and family members reportedly performed CPR on Smythe before rescuers arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities from the Sierra Madre Police Department and Arcadia Police Department also responded.

“Sierra Madre Search and Rescue extends our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased man,” the rescue team said in a statement. “We also extend our thanks to the man’s friends and other hikers who assisted today.”

Smythe was widely known in the music industry for his work in film, horror movies, and concert music.

He also served as chair of the Composing for Visual Media Department at the Los Angeles College of Music. His score for The Reef: Stalked on Hulu earned a nomination for a Society of Composers & Lyricists Award.

Tributes from colleagues, students and friends quickly flooded social media following news of his death.

“His passion for music, his dedication to his students, and his kindness left a profound mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing him,” one colleague from LACM wrote online.

Composer Yail Guerra added, “Fly high, my dear friend. Your legacy will continue to resonate through the many lives you touched.”

Another former colleague said Smythe’s “incredible gift for music” helped shape several of his films.

Smythe’s sister, Pepe Becker, also shared an emotional tribute alongside a family photo.

“Mark was a strong larger than life connector in LA, as a professor, composer, musician, and loyal friend,” she wrote. “He was also fiercely talented, and an absolute cheerleader for music performance and recording across multiple genres. He was only just getting started and had so much more to give. We are heartbroken and trying to process this tragedy, as are all Mark’s friends and family.”

She added: “It is a comfort to know that he was doing one of the things he loved, hiking in the hills.”

The death marks the second fatal incident on the Mount Wilson Trail this month after another hiker reportedly fell to his death earlier in May.

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