AMADOR COUNTY, Calif. -- Amador County sheriff’s officials said a hiker who went missing in the Tragedy Creek area of the El Dorado National Forest over the weekend was found safe Monday.
Lauren Ellen DeLaTorre, 53, was hiking with a group of friends and family that were staying at a remote nearby cabin when she went missing on Saturday.
A search was initiated with about 50 ground searchers from Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Placer and Sacramento County Sheriff's search and rescue teams participating.
The search effort was set to expand on Monday with additional teams and personnel from throughout the region joining the search.
It is unclear where DeLaTorre was found by the search party.
Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/28441203/detail.html#ixzz1RBDsw5pc
This is a venue for El Dorado SAR members to provide fill-in information and first-hand accounts of specific previous searches. After SAR302 posts the first item about a recent search, any SAR member is invited to add their comments/observations/feelings/experience as it relates to said search. The postings are then edited and posted to the ESARC website (edsar.org) for public viewing.
2 comments:
Paul Duer 3:51pm Jul 4
Found her! Nat Guard Blackhawk spotted her noonish near the southern end of the search area alongside a south-flowing creek just after dropping off a team from the bay area. In good health, though legs scratched and bruised. Said she saw H20 yesterday but could not get their attention. Today she took off her T shirt and waved it over her head and that's what the crew saw. Family ecstatic.
Subject was with a group of about 30 Humbolt graduates that meet anually at different locations over the July 4th holiday. When it was decided Lauren was actually missing about 2 hours after seperating from her hiking partners, all 30 of the group took off looking,the result was 60 footprints per step taken.36votive candles from the cabin were then dispursed over a large area by the group in hopes she would see the light at night and follow them back to the lodge. That didnt't bring her in nor did it set the forest on fire.
The multiple footprints,lots of granite, The fact that she had only capris, pale moss green, a T shirt pale peachy tan, and a blue baseball type cap plus her shoes, there was obviously no clues found that were of the candy wrapper,back pack typeof things one could leave behind. She apparently kept most of her cool by wrapping her arms inside her T shirt and hunkering down under some brush at night. ( A good thing for us to practise recognizing for future searches).
She claims to have spied the Bear river Resevoir and thought it was Slver lake and was headed towards it when she was located by the helo. Great results, a lot of info could be gathered regarding decision points by both the lost subject and the management and searching teams.
The emotion of all her friends and family at seeing her return to the cabin, in good health with stories to tell was indeed a special reward. The deputies and SAR personnel present were served a special order of JOY that is not usually experienced with found subjects. Afterall how many times do we have an audience and welcome home party of 30 or more. the cheers were loud, the tears flowed freely. This is what it is all about. This is why we do what we do!
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