Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Search For Missing Backpackers Concludes Successfully
The search for three missing backpackers concluded successfully on the afternoon of Thursday, October 15th, when brothers Jacob and Jordan Zeman and Lanier Rogers were reunited with their families after being short-hauled off a ledge above the Roaring River in the Cedar Grove area. The three had begun an ambitious 65-mile hike on October 8th with the intention of walking out on October 12th. Family members contacted park staff at 10 p.m. on Monday when the group failed to return. An investigation into the incident began on Tuesday, although heavy rain and high-elevation snow hampered initial aerial and grounds search efforts. A hasty search was conducted as weather permitted on Wednesday, and additional resources were ordered for a full–scale search on Thursday. Approximately 50 searchers and two helicopters (including the park helicopter) were in the field or on their way to the search area when the three men was located. Rangers Jack Corrao and Debbie Brenchley conducted the short haul operation from Helicopter 552. Statements from the three men acquired after the incident indicated that they had not been able to complete the hike that they’d planned and began to backtrack in the middle of the trip. They became stranded after attempting to return to their vehicle via a treacherous cross country route through the Roaring River drainage. Kings Canyon district ranger Ned Kelleher was the incident commander.