Missing Couple Found Safe!
June 12, 2024 – Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on Monday, June 10th, 2024, at 8:30 a.m., our office received a report of two subjects who were 
overdue. Leah Bernard (34 years old) and Daren Daniels (38 years old) both of Mariposa. The two left on June 7th to go cave exploring in the area and had failed to return.
Daren’s wallet was found on Schilling Road by a resident. Cell pings were initiated on their phones. Family members were able to inform us of some approximate cell coordinates of where the couple may have been headed.
Deputies and drones were utilized to search the roads and area. CHP Helicopter H42 assisted in the search due to the search area being extremely steep, hot, and thick with brush.
The search continued through the night and into June 11th, 2024, when a Search and Rescue (SAR) 4x4 team responded as well as several SAR members to walk the area on foot.
Around 12:45 p.m. Leah contacted our office via 911 from her cell phone. Using her cell phone coordinates we were able to find her exact location and direct searchers to her. Searchers were able to navigate to the extremely remote and technical roads where they located her in between Quartz Mountain and the North Fork drainage. Leah and Daren had become separated, searchers continued to look for Daren.
The Sheriff’s Office contracted helicopter service was also called in to assist in searching, SAR ground units located tracks believed to belong to Daniels in the Quartz Mountain area.
SAR and drone operations continued into the night around the Quartz Mountain and the Merced River drainage areas. Daren was able to text family asking for them to come help him at the convergence of Merced and the North Fork. At approximately 10:45 p.m. on June 11th SAR ground units located Daren after he hiked off Quartz Mountain and hit the Merced River trail.
Both Leah and Daren were extremely dehydrated, however neither one of them required extensive medical treatment.
This is a good reminder to be prepared when using our expansive trails, hiking, and camping locations throughout Mariposa County. Create your itinerary and share it with friends or family. Prepare for the weather in the area you are planning to visit, will it be hot, cold, rain, etc. Consult trail guides to see how rigorous the trails you want to check out are. Stay on trails.
“Anytime we can bring people home safely it is a great day. With essentially two searches going on simultaneously this is a great example of quick reporting, quick response and multiple agencies working together to serve our communities. I can’t say enough great things about our Search and Rescue team and the Sheriff’s Office staff that coordinate that program. It is always such a great feeling to have a positive outcome in such unknown circumstances.”- Sheriff Jeremy Briese
View video here.
Source: Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office
