Missing Mother and Son

Yosemite National Park News Release

September 28, 2005
For Immediate Release

Search Continues For Missing Mother and Son in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is continuing the search today for Xiaodong Yuan, a 34-year-old Chinese male, from Atlanta, Georgia, and his mother, 60-year-old Zhaohui Wang, a Chinese citizen.

Yuan and Wang arrived in Yosemite National Park from Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 21, 2005 in a rented 2006 Ford Taurus with Nevada plates 068 SWX. They checked into a cabin at Curry Village in Yosemite Valley, planning to stay until Friday, September 23.

Yuan and Wang checked out of their cabin at Curry Village in Yosemite Valley on September 23 and were planning to drive out of the park via the Tioga Road (Highway 120 East) toward Las Vegas after stopping in Death Valley National Park.

The pair was reported missing to law enforcement officials when they did not reach Las Vegas.

Yosemite National Park is working with all law enforcement agencies along the intended travel route to locate the pair.

An extensive search is ongoing, utilizing both ground crews and helicopters. Areas that have been searched so far include all park roads, parking areas, campgrounds, and pull outs. Additionally, ground searchers have checked steep banks, sharp turns, roadside ravines, and ledges. Air searchers have flown along the Highway 120 corridor (from Hetch Hetchy to Tioga Pass) and a complete foot search of the area along Highway 120 is being conducted. National Park Service personnel have also checked areas outside the park, including the Highway 140 corridor and the Lee Vining area.

Anyone with information about Yuan or his mother is asked to call Steve Yu in the Yosemite Criminal Investigations Unit at 209/372-0614.

-NPS-

Their bodies have been found. It looks like they when over the side into Lee Vining Canyon.

Wouldn't it be nice if in addition to tell us these people are missing, the news page would tell us the conclusion of the story?