An award-winning British photojournalist was allegedly stabbed to death by his teenage son while hiking in California.

Dr Paul Lowe, 61, a celebrated photographer who captured the fall of the Berlin Wall, was found dead in the San Gabriel Mountains on Saturday.

Police from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said they were called to “an assault with a deadly weapon” and discovered Dr Lowe with “trauma to his upper torso” near Stoddard Canyon Falls at about 3.30pm local time.

He died from a stab wound to his neck, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

Emir Lowe, Dr Lowe’s 19-year-old son, was detained and arrested on suspicion of murder after he crashed his car while driving away from the area at high speed.

He was due to appear in court on Tuesday.