HGTV Contractor Dies Hiking Mount Whitney

Kalem Peter Kazarian, a 52-year-old Fresno-area contractor who appeared in a 2019 HGTV pilot, died Oct. 5 while hiking in the Mount Whitney area, according to reports. The Tulare County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death in Sequoia National Park, but his precise location and cause of death have not been publicly established. Kazarian was an experienced hiker who had recently climbed White Mountain and is survived by his wife and three children. Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, is a demanding hike where fatalities have occurred, and permits are required for hikers entering the area.