By Beatriz Valenzuela
San Bernardino County Sun
LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. — Hours after the son of San Bernardino County’s fire chief was found dead in Lake Arrowhead early Sunday morning, a hashtag emerged to remember the 20-year-old’s love of the outdoors, adventure and his family and friends.
“Dawson was a man among men. His love of others made the world a better place. Family loved him deeply & will miss him dearly #LoveLikeDawson,” tweeted his father Mark Hartwig late Sunday night. His words were accompanied by three photographs of Dawson Hartwig with friends.
The sheriff’s dive team found his body around 1:10 a.m. in about 30 feet near the Lake Arrowhead Yacht Club, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Several people took to social media, especially Twitter, to express their grief and to send condolences to the Hartwig family.
https://twitter.com/YourFireChief/status/825946379121893376
“The Sheriff’s Dive Team sends our deepest condolences to the Hartwig family,” team leader Bryan Lane said via Twitter. “Fire and Sheriff are one big family and we all feel your loss.”
Others using the hastag #LoveLikeDawson posted pictures of the 20-year-old outside with friends and family. “I’m the luckiest little brother in the world to have spent 18 years with you Dawson. I (love) you so much #LoveLikeDawson,” Dawson’s younger brother, Jeremiah Hartwig, posted on Twitter.
A group of friends even wrote his name with string on a Milliken Avenue overpass fence, although it wasn’t clear if it was over the 10 or 210 freeways.
Mark Hartwig, who spoke with this news organization by phone earlier Saturday, said his son and a couple friends had traveled to the area Friday to enjoy the recent snow.
That afternoon, Dawson, 20, left their rented cabin in the 200 block of Burnt Mill Road and went for a walk, according to a sheriff’s news release.
https://www.facebook.com/LoveLikeDawson/posts/1867006623571096
“He never came back from his walk,” said the elder Hartwig.
Dawson left without a cellphone and was not properly dressed for the weather, officials said. His friends reporting him missing at 10:44 a.m. Saturday.
A large search party formed, including more than 70 fire and law enforcement personnel, three K-9 units and numerous volunteers. By about 8 p.m. Saturday, the local temperature had dropped to 35 degrees.
https://twitter.com/CalCityFD/status/825852408857292801 https://twitter.com/SBCOUNTYFIRE/status/825869105961906177 https://twitter.com/kerncountyfire/status/825883466269077504