March 5, 2023 - Bishop, California - Inyo County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Tuesday, February 28, Inyo County Search and Rescue (InyoSAR) received a callout for a missing person. The individual had last been heard from on the morning of Friday, February 24, before leaving Big Pine on his way to Gardnerville, with an intended route over Hwy 168 due to closures on Hwy 395 caused by a major winter storm. Over the following days, a series of winter storms continued to affect the region.

InyoSAR responded immediately, assessed the situation, and developed a plan to search an area along Hwy 168. Due to conditions at the time, resources were focused on preparing for a mission early the following morning. On Wednesday, March 1, a winter storm caused the team to delay the mission due to safety concerns for SAR personnel. A second attempt in the afternoon was also unsuccessful. However, on Thursday, March 2, with the support of Caltrans District 9, two teams of four SAR members each deployed to make their way to Deep Springs Valley for a focused search around the Gilbert Pass area. California Highway Patrol Inland Division Air Operations’ (CHP) H80 helicopter provided additional assistance with two aerial searches around the Gilbert Pass area.

At around noon on Thursday, CHP forensics reported an identified cellular ping from approximately 4:00 p.m. on Friday that was associated with the missing person. The location of that ping was triangulated to an area along Death Valley Road, a rough road running south of the 168 and leading into Death Valley National Park.

The CHP H80 helicopter crew returned to Bishop Airport for refueling and proceeded to Death Valley Road to conduct an aerial search. Within a short period of time, they identified a vehicle partially buried in snow. When the crew made their way closer for inspection, a window was lowered and a person began waving from inside the vehicle. The CHP H80 crew returned to Bishop Airport to prepare for extraction. Upon their return to the scene, the CHP crew loaded the person onboard and transported him directly to Bishop Airport for transport to medical care. The person was determined to be the subject of the search. The subject was discharged from the hospital later that evening.

The success of this mission was the result of the many volunteers who commit their personal time to serve as members of Inyo County Search and Rescue, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, CHP Inland Division Air Operations, Caltrans District 9, as well as many members of the community - both near and far - who offered planning, logistical, and moral support.

InyoSAR would like to remind everyone to always be prepared for unexpected events and have a safety plan in place when traveling through the mountains.

For more information, visit www.inyosar.com.

Source & photos: Inyo County Sheriff's Office