Young Hikers Missing in Joshua Tree Since Thursday [7/27/17]

[Ed]

So she was an experienced Grand Canyon hiker. But it could have been winter experience.

I checked the rim temperatures on WunderGround. Not that hot. High of 86 on August 1, cooler thereafter. The poor woman must have been deranged when she began to realize the situation she had led her children into. Wonder how deep they went, and whether she went up or down for water.

[zippetydude]

Nothing further on the OP? No news updates, nothing?

z

[Cy Kaicener]

Facebook link to Joshua Tree Search and Rescue -- https://www.facebook.com/josarorg/

http://www.josar.org/ On line link -- http://www.josar.org/index.php/join-us/ ... onsibility

Grand Canyon facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/EmergencyServi ... CanyonNPS/
Body Located Near Black Bridge in Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon, AZ- On Wednesday afternoon search and rescue crews located a body believed to be Sarah Beadle of Fort Worth, TX. Beadle who was reported missing on August 1 failed to arrive at Bright Angel Campground, where she had a reservation.
Crews located the body near the Black Bridge at the bottom of Grand Canyon, approximately ¾ mile from Phantom Ranch.
An investigation is being conducted by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner. No additional information is available.

[cynthia23]

Thank you for those links, Cy. Zip, I just checked the FB link and as of one hour ago they were checking up in the rocks on the East end of the Maze loop, still nothing. The situation grows ever more puzzling.

[Ed]

Beadle who was reported missing on August 1 failed to arrive at Bright Angel Campground, where she had a reservation.
Crews located the body near the Black Bridge at the bottom of Grand Canyon, approximately ¾ mile from Phantom Ranch.

My God! So close! An all-downhill hike, with rim temperatures that made it not entirely unreasonable with an early start. The problem should have been the uphill haul the next day. Still, not a hike for children.

[RichardK]

From the OC Register, August 4, 5:49PM.

The search for missing hikers Joseph Orbeso, 21, and Rachel Nguyen, 20, at Joshua Tree National Park will continue until at least Sunday, Aug. 6, park authorities said Friday.

Orbeso, of Lakewood, and Nguyen, of Westminster, have been missing for a week in the scorching desert.

George Land, a spokesman for Joshua Tree National Park, said Friday, Aug. 4, the search would persist, but no new evidence or clues had been found that might lead to the missing pair.

Various areas of the 790,000-acre park have scoured without success, Joshua Tree Search and Rescue officials said.

Austin Young, of Lakewood, who is a friend of Orbeso, said Friday he may travel to Joshua Tree over the weekend to look for the couple.

On July 27, Orbeso and Nguyen left an Airbnb rental near Joshua Tree National Park to go hiking, officials said.

Authorities were alerted the following day when it was determined the couple hadn’t checked out. Officials found clothing, an iPad and food in their room.

Their car and fresh footprints were found in the park near Maze Loop.

[cynthia23]

Another day without any good news. JT's SAR Facebook page does not have any updates from the search this morning. Not hopeful.

I do hope that law enforcement is doing a criminal investigation, as well. The mother of the young man whom Nguyen was/is CURRENTLY dating has posted a few times on the JOSAR FB page--apparently the girl called her son, i.e. her new boyfriend, at 6 a.m. the morning of the hike, which is the last time he spoke with her. The mom in the FB post said 'there may be more to this story'--but left it at that. Her position must be difficult--there is no easy way to say what she seems to be hinting or thinking, presumably about Orbeso. Who may be simply another innocent victim of a terrible hiking mishap. Which is why I hope law enforcement is involved now, and which is why I hope SAR will keep looking a few days more.

Whatever the truth, I hope it comes out quickly so the families can have some measure of peace.

[Sean]

I think it's a mistake to speculate the worst about Orbeso. The authorities are not idiots. If they had evidence against him, there would be a criminal investigation.

There is evidence, however, that these two were good friends out for a hike in unfamiliar terrain and they got horribly lost while being unprepared. Both were young, had dated and separated without killing each other. Nguyen clearly trusted Orbeso enough to remain friends and go hiking with him. Orbeso was a security guard, which seems like a healthy, life-affirming profession to me. Not that all security guards are angels, but if we're going by the evidence, my money is on a young man who respects life and women.

Furthermore, the JTree spokesman said footprints indicate these two may have been going in circles. And like others have pointed out, there are lots of rocks in Joshua Tree. Hard to check them all, or see shaded spots from the air. Maybe they wandered outside the search area and collapsed from exhaustion. Maybe they fell and hit their heads. Or maybe they became delirious, went to sleep under a random rock and never woke up. Very sad.

[Wildhorse]

So much depends on the presuppositions, or frame, or narrative from which one starts. I wonder what process police and SAR follow in their decisions about what to look for and where when they receive a missing person's report. I would not be surprised to learn that they have searched computers and interviewed people.

[Cy Kaicener]

The latest facebook pictures https://www.facebook.com/josarorg/
JOSAR out this morning with dogs searching Maze/North Canyon and up in rocks. -- Sunday 9 am