Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Zeke Escobedo confirmed that a male college student from San Francisco, Richard Wong, resident of Valencia, is lost in a search area from Humber Park up to the Saddle and over to Tahquitz Peak. The search is currently focusing on Tahquitz Peak, the area to which he and two or more friends had intended to hike when they began late morning May 31.
The friends said that a mile short of the saddle, Richard said he was not feeling well, was experiencing extreme fatigue and was going to go back down to the Humber Park parking lot. He separated from his friends just before noon, but never made it back to Humber. The friends reported they saw no sign of Richard on their way back to Humber at the conclusion of their hike.
They did not report him missing until 10:53 p.m., when, according to Escobedo, they made the report at the Idyllwild Fire Department.
The Sheriff’s Department mobilized Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU) at 3:30 a.m. and later mobilized Desert Search and Rescue who took the tram up to the mountain station to cover the area, along with RMRU, between the mountain station and Humber Park.
As of this writing, the search has been going on for over 24 hours. A Sheriff’s Department helicopter unit surveyed the search area, including Tahquitz, with no reported sighting.
Wong is described as 6’1” tall, 185 lbs. 23 years old and dressed for light hiking.
His parents are en route from Valencia to Idyllwild.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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The searchers found him 6/1 7:30pm. He's OK.
ReplyDeletewas he on drugs? how do you not find humber park when you turn around short of the saddle? did he give an explanation?
ReplyDeleteHe made it to the top. His friends thought he turned around but he didn't.
ReplyDelete