July 10, 2024 – Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team officials report that at 6:06 P.M. (1806 hours) on July 5, the Team was called to assist in locating a 61-year-old female backpacker who had become separated from her group of 3. She was last seen a short distance west of Mule Pass. A temporary search base was set up at the intersection of Twin Lakes Road and Hunewill Ranch Road, and from there 2 teams of 2 were assigned to the field with the plan to be out overnight. Team 1 was sent up the Horse Creek Trail with direction to continue until tired and then find a bivy spot to continue the search the next morning.  Team 2 went up the Robinson Creek Trail past the Peeler Lake Trail, past Robinson and Crown lakes, and was able to make contact with the reporting party (RP) at the intersection with the Rock Island Pass Trail at approximately 2:30 A.M. (0230 hours). In the meantime, the search base was moved to Mono Village and set up for the night.

The California Office of Emergency Services (OES) contacted search base and offered assistance from the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) program, which was accepted. FIRIS is designed to locate and track fire incidents but has also proven useful in locating heat signatures of individuals on the ground. FIRIS flew the search area for approximately one hour from 2:30 A.M. (0230 hours) to 3:30 A.M. (0330 hours) but did not locate the subject. Team 2 woke the RP to gain some first-hand information which was relayed to the search base.  Team 2 then set up their bivy and slept a few hours before resuming operations at 6:00 A.M. (0600 hours). 

Incident Command (IC) had arranged for CHP - Central Division Air Operations helicopter H40 to arrive at Bryant Field in Bridgeport at 6:00 A.M. (0600 hours), but the helicopter did not arrive until well after 7:00 A.M. (0700 hours) as they made a low and slow pass of the search area on the way to Bridgeport. H40 did not locate the subject during this pass. H40 landed at Bryant Field, offloaded their medical and other gear, and transported a team of 2 (Team 3) to the Burro Pass area. After departing Burro Pass, they spotted a lone individual hiking, and landed in hopes it was our subject.  The hiker turned out to be the missing person, and she declined assistance and stated that she would rejoin her companions and remain in the backcountry.

H40 then traveled to the location of Team 1, loaded them, and transported them to Bryant Field. H40 then returned to the area to pick up Team 3 and transport them to Bryant Field. On the return trip, H40 was advised that their services were needed elsewhere, so Team 2 began their trek out on foot. Most responding team members were released from service, and search base personnel returned to Mono Village and hiked in on the Robinson Creek Trail to meet Team 2 coming out.  All remaining personnel returned to base, and the operation was terminated at 2:37 P.M. (1437 hours).

IC: Salazar, Pelichowski   Ops Leader: Beck   Responders: Baron, Wallace, Buchanan, Patterson, Case, Dickau, Bush, Knecht, Quiring, Irving-Ruffing, Wilson, Haugh, Salay, Blackman, Senior, Huizingh, Thompson, Kelly

Source & photos: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team