Mississippi woman (second from right) found alive in Sequoia National Park/NPS
A Mississippi woman missing in Sequoia National Park since last week was found alive and in good condition Monday afternoon after the crew of a search plane spotted her SOS spelled out on the ground.
Mary Joanna Gomez was found off trail about 3.5 miles over rocky and steep terrain from her vehicle, a park release said.
"A California Air National Guard aircraft C-130 first located an SOS spelled out with rocks on the ground and later identified a person nearby. Ground searchers responded and were able to find Mrs. Gomez cold, thirsty and hungry, but in otherwise good health," the release added.
Gomez, 56, traveled to California for a nursing assignment, and headed to Sequoia and adjacent Kings Canyon national parks on October 23, her day off. Her last communication with family was on October 24 when she text messaged her daughter with photos taken in different areas of Kings Canyon, park staff said.
She was expected back to work on October 25, missed her shift, and her family reported her missing to the San Francisco Police Department.
The woman was seen in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park on Saturday morning, according to park staff. That night, shortly before midnight, her vehicle was located along the Generals Highway near a trailhead in the Little Baldy area by a park ranger. It had not been at that trailhead earlier in the day.
The Little Baldy Trail offers a 4-mile hike that leads to an 8,044-foot summit that provides sweeping vistas of Sequoia.
Comments
Jayne--
You're right about mostly volunteers. But also rangers and others coordinating search efforts (more likely than sheriff's office taking the lead on SAR within a park), who at most have SAR as collateral duties on top of their primary jobs. And in this case she was found by CA Air National Guards. It takes a team. We can thank them all for their efforts. I'm sure they're all very happy with this outcome.