SAR Mission in progress in Northern & Eastern Supes 1-13

Al_HikesAZ · Post by **Al_HikesAZ** » Jan 13 2006 9:14 pm

BACKGROUND
This is what I heard from some posse members tonight:
Elderly couple (80’s?) from Casa Grande was reported missing almost a week ago. Car was found at the Apache Lake Marina. Wife was found disoriented and walking about 2 miles from the marina. Husband has not been found & may have Alzheimer's. They don’t know how the wife & car got to Apache Lake from Casa Grande. They don’t know if the husband was dropped off somewhere along the way or was with the wife at the marina. This is still a SAR mission, not a recovery mission. The cadavar dogs have not been dispatched.

My words:
In other words, they really don’t know where to look. And with the temperatures in that area, the likelihood of survival would appear to be slim.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you are hiking in these areas this week-end, keep your eyes open for any unusual situations. Report such situations to the Maricopa County Sheriff's office 602-876-1000 or Pinal County Sheriff's office 520-866-6800.

Thank you.

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jan 13 2006 10:04 pm

If the wife was found a week ago then it doesn't sound good. That's a pretty remote area.

Sounds like some info is being withheld as there's a little bit of a loop in that story.

Hope somebody can help.

Nighthiker · Post by **Nighthiker** » Jan 14 2006 6:56 am

Another example of why you should call your friends and not Search and Rescue.

Al_HikesAZ · Post by **Al_HikesAZ** » Jan 14 2006 8:14 am

joe bartels wrote:If the wife was found a week ago . . .

Sorry if I gave a wrong impression. Couple was reported missing about a week ago. Wife was found within the last 24 to 48 hours. There could still be hope. No one knows where they might have been within the last week.

But I agree. I doesn't sound good. I hate it when my wife reads the stories about "Hikers find body. . .".

At least with this recent case near Casa Grande, it was rockhounds (not hikers) who found the body of Terri Bowersock's mother.

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Jan 17 2006 11:59 am

In response to al1inaz's reply:

Any updates?

Al_HikesAZ · Post by **Al_HikesAZ** » Jan 17 2006 1:42 pm

In response to big_load's reply:

The scuttlebutt I hear through the grapevine is that this is no longer an active MCSO (Maricopa County Sheriffs Office) SAR. MCSO has pulled off the case and has handed it over to the AZ State agency that handles Search & Rescue. I’m not sure what agency that might be.

This gentleman could be anywhere. The couple could have traveled around a lot of AZ before ending up at the Apache Lake Marina. It is likely that the husband and wife would have stayed together but it is not a certainty. It is less & less likely with each passing day that he could survive in his condition.

If you hike in the northern or eastern Supes, report anything unusual to the MCSO.

Mike found this online and I pass it along here.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... 8561&rfi=6

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Jan 17 2006 4:21 pm

al1inaz wrote: The scuttlebutt I hear through the grapevine is that this is no longer an active MCSO (Maricopa County Sheriffs Office) SAR. MCSO has pulled off the case and has handed it over to the AZ State agency that handles Search & Rescue. I’m not sure what agency that might be.

I'm sorry to hear he wasn't found quickly. I suppose AZ has as many such cases as we do. Here, the wanderer is often found in the first body of water that got in his way.

Al_HikesAZ · Post by **Al_HikesAZ** » Feb 08 2006 5:31 pm

Wish I could report a happier ending, but at least here is closure to this topic. As time passed, it was apparent that this would be the outcome.

Body of missing elderly man found
Associated Press Feb. 1, 2006 05:55 PM

The body of a missing Casa Grande man has been discovered Wednesday in the desert east of Phoenix.

A Maricopa County Sheriff's Posse member was flying over the Apache Lake area when the body of 85-year-old Winston Hoffman was located at an area called Davis Wash.

Hoffman and his wife, Norma, were reported missing from Casa Grande on Jan. 10.

His wife was found that day at the Apache Lake Marina and transported to an area hospital.

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue crews searched for several days after the Hoffman's vehicle was discovered on Arizona 88.

Investigators do not have any reason to suspect foul play in Hoffman's death.

Family members have been made aware of the discovery.