Update- 2:00pm- Missing hiker, Sheryl Powell was located alive by ground search team members near the Montenegro Springs area (below where her dog was located earlier today).
Searchers describe her as resilient and strong but exhausted after being lost in an extremely remote area above Big Pine, CA.
Mrs Powell was met at the Bishop Airport by ambulance and will be taken to the local hospital for medical clearance.
“From ABC News: Powell’s family says she got lost after being chased off a trail by a man with a knife. Her son told ABC News that Powell left the campsite to take her dog for a short walk. Greg Powell says his mother told him she was chased by a knife-wielding man and got lost running away from him.”
We are beyond grateful for the continued support from her family, local residents, visitors, and the media. We also cannot thank our assisting agencies enough for their amazingly hard work in difficult terrain throughout this 4-day search.
Update- 11:30am– searchers have located a dog matching the description of the dog that was with missing camper Sheryl Powell. The dog is alive, and was located 2.5 miles from Mrs. Powell’s last known location. Updates to follow.
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Missing Camper, Day Four
*If you choose to post comments we ask that you make them substantive and relevant – this is a sensitive case and our audience should be aware the Mrs. Powell’s family and friends are reading these posts. Unkind posts DO NOT help searchers or loved ones.
GRANDVIEW CAMPGROUND, CA. July 15, 2019 – Today is day four of a massive multiagency search for missing camper, Sheryl Powell. Powell and her small 5-pound dog were reported missing by her husband on July 12 from the Grandview Campground in the Bristlecone Pine Forest area.
After selecting a remote campsite, Sheryl Powell (a 60 year old woman from Huntington Beach) exited the vehicle to take the dog out for a bathroom break while Mr. Powell re-positioned their Jeep. Mr. Powell could not locate Mrs. Powell or their dog once he parked the Jeep. After searching for almost an hour, Mr. Powell alerted law enforcement through his satellite device.
Mrs. Powell is described as an experienced hiker – she is 5’3”, 120 pounds, brown hair, and brown eyes. The small dog has a red leash and is black/white.
Inyo Search and Rescue and Inyo Sheriff began searching immediately after receiving the notification on July 12. Searching continued on July 13 and 14 with trained search and rescue teams assisting from throughout California*.
In addition to ground search teams, dog teams have also been deployed to the area, and aerial reconnaissance has been provided Naval Air out of Lemoore, CHP-Inland Division Air Operations (equipped with a FLIR device in order to detect thermal imaging), CHP-Central Division Air Operations, and California National Guard.
Challenges include multiple gullies, shale slopes, low shade, direct sun, and rattlesnakes. Grandview Campground is located at 8,600 feet and is the closest campground to the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
The investigations portion of the Powell search continues; Sheriff’s Investigations have determined that Mr. Powell is not connected to Mrs. Powell’s disappearance. The family has been, and continues to be, extremely cooperative.
Please contact the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office at (760) 878-0383, option 4 if you have any information that can assist in locating missing camper, Sheryl Powell.
*List of assisting search groups: Inyo SAR, Mono SAR, China Lake Mountain Rescue Group, Fresno SAR, Riverside SAR, Tulare SAR, El Dorado SAR, Mariposa SAR, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office/Antelope Valley SAR, San Diego Mountain Rescue Team, Southern-Kern County SAR, Sierra Madre SAR, Placer County SAR, CA Rescue Dog Association.
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UPDATE– July 14, day 3 of massive multiagency search for missing camper Sheryl Powell. Agencies participating include: Inyo SAR, Mono SAR, China Lake Mountain Rescue Group, Fresno SAR, Riverside SAR, Tulare SAR, El Dorado SAR, Mariposa SAR, CA Rescue Dog Association, CalOES, and aerial recon provided by CHP-Central Division Air Operations.
In addition to this being an active search and rescue, it is also an active investigation. If anyone has any information that can assist in locating missing camper, Sheryl Powell, please call the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office at 760-878-0383, option 4.
Inyo County Sheriff 7-13-19
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I keep asking but never get a response,, Any news on the supposed bald guy who chased this woman? Really curious how this story was predicated on a mystery man with a knife chasing her through the forest, but haven’t heard a word on either the mystery man or the woman in almost 2 years now, can we get a follow up to this story?
Eastside Local,
Sierra Wave has never had any follow-up information come to us on this topic. In response to your question, we have asked the PIO for the Sheriff’s Office to let us know if there was anything that came out of the investigation and is it an open or closed case.
Eastside Local…..I can promise,you won’t hear another word about this “alleged” incident…my guess is,LE just wants the whole thing to go away,and if asked,they’ll say they can’t comment on any of it,beins it’s still an “alleged” open case…my opinion,for what it’s worth,when I go out in the wilderness now,I’m not keeping my eyes out or watching out for a creepy bald guy lurking around ….
Any news on the supposed bald guy who chased this woman? Really curious how this story was predicated on a mystery man with a knife chasing her through the forest, but haven’t heard a word on either the mystery man or the woman in over 9 months.
What’s a “pinut”?
A type of rabbit or squirrel perhaps?
I’ve heard of a pinenut, but they don’t run away scared they’re going to get wacked by a hunter.
They sit on the ground in their cones, waiting to be gathered.
Happy she made out, great effort by search team. I know that area well, been pine (edit) nut hunting up there many times. The area around grandview is the top of the mt range it’s mostly flat with rolling hills. You can’t see the valley floor from there and if you did see it and try to hike down those canyons are very steep. It’s a 4500 ft drop to the Owen’s valley. Just saying I’m sure you think your inner Rambo would get you out of a situation like that. But in reality you just don’t know what would happen until your in that situation.
Mono Person…I like to think I’m the type that gives the benefit to the doubt,but the more I’m seeing coming from her family and friends,as well as from herself,it’s more than a little odd…..it’s WAY odd….hopefully,it just goes away and not pursued or looked into much more by Law Enforcement or anyone else,and it just goes away..
Yeah, even though she cost the county thousands of dollars, us taxpayers should just eat it. No consequences to the little drama that the Powell’s invented.
Old Timer…..simple answer…it would be way too hard to prove it didn’t happen the way she (they) said it did…couldn’t prosecute on a gut-feeling…like I’ve said before,I hope ,and I bet LE does too,that this story just goes away,without a bunch of facebook drama,theories and speculation…
Glad she was found unharmed but I’m a bit skeptical about the story she is telling. She doesn’t provide much detail about how she got away and out ran the man with the knife…whole story seems odd.
I am glad I’m not the only person that finds this story a little odd.
You’re not even close. This story hit mainstream and very few are buying it.
…After reading the story,and especially after hearing the interview,let’s just say I’m glad she and her dog are home safe….whenever there’s a GoFundMe account set up ,and from what I’m hearing over $49,000.00 donated,maybe it’s just me,but I get a little skeptical…..
Finally , a happy ending in the Eastern Sierra .
Despite what you might think reading some of the comments here, happy outcomes are pretty common in the Eastern Sierra. This is a good one, for sure.
I agree the whole story is odd. A man who threatened and pursued her with a knife and then she gets lost, yet she claims in her interview that she only feared the man the first day???? I know the area well. An experienced hiker would have no problem hiking out in a day or two unless they were injured.