COLLEGE SOPHOMORE DIES AFTER FALLING FROM TRAIL ON OUTING; STUDENT PLUNGES 60 FEET INTO CANYON.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

A 19-year-old college sophomore on a camping trip with friends died late Wednesday after plunging more than 60 feet from a hiking trail into Santa Paula Canyon, officials reported.

Angela Baird, of Spokane, Wash., was hiking with classmates from Thomas Aquinas College on a winding trail that begins behind the college campus and leads to two campgrounds in the Los Padres National Forest. The group had reached the Punch Bowl, a popular spot known for its streams and waterfalls, when Baird slipped and fell into the canyon, officials said.

Several of Baird's companions ran for help, and rescue crews and a helicopter were dispatched from Fire Station 20 shortly after 8 p.m., said Ventura County Deputy Coroner James Baroni.

Baird was airlifted to Ventura County Hospital, where she died of multiple injuries.

Witnesses told authorities that Baird had been walking in a washed-out area near the Punch Bowl when they saw her fall, Baroni said.

The area falls within the jurisdiction of the Los Padres National Forest. The forest service and fire officials are expected to continue investigating the incident today to determine where and why Baird fell.

``It's very steep country. If you are hiking in the dark, it is a very dangerous area both on the trail and especially off,'' said Kathy Good, a spokeswoman for the Los Padres National Forest. ``We discourage anyone from hiking at night unless they are wearing a head lamp or carrying a flashlight.''

Thousands of hikers regularly use the Santa Paula Creek Trail, which begins behind the private college and leads to the Big Cone and Cross Camp campgrounds. The trail is marked and regularly maintained by the National Forest Service and is located away from cliffs, Good said.

Good said the marked trail was last fully maintained in 1995, and that crews have since gone out to the trail to check on it.

At Thomas Aquinas College, a four-year Catholic liberal arts college with about 220 students, students and faculty, mourned Baird's death.

``We are a small campus, so virtually everyone knew her. We are grieving today and regret such a tragic accident,'' said college spokesman Don Boardman.

Baird is survived by her parents, who live in Spokane, and her brother Joseph Baird, who is a senior at Thomas Aquinas College.

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Map: Site of fatal fall of college student