Found Deceased CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #13

[Catmommy]

Rest easy now, Barbara, you're coming home at last.


I'll wait for more information before saying anything else with hope that more answers come soon.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

If Barbara thought she was succumbing to the heat, she might have tried to shade up under a scrub bush, making her very difficult to see.

More drone operators on search teams would be great, they can search from lower altitudes than search planes. Send planes on a quick flyover to catch anything obvious, followed by drones to take a closer look.

@Trackergd, how does a search like the one for Barbara work in the field? Assuming the last known location is accurate? How large would her initial search area have been, and how far outside that area would searchers actually go?

I'm curious whether the initial aerial search for her included the area where she was eventually found, without (obviously) her being noticed at that time.

If it did, they can review footage to

1) look for indications she wasn't there during the initial search, indicating she was moved to the eventual location later (whether by a human or by animals or weather forces)

2) use the earlier search images and the known found location to help understand how and why she wasn't seen initially, possibly helping improve results for future desert searches.

I know we'll possibly never hear about it either way, but it does make me curious.

 

[10ofRods]

If Barbara thought she was succumbing to the heat, she might have tried to shade up under a scrub bush, making her very difficult to see.

More drone operators on search teams would be great, they can search from lower altitudes than search planes. Send planes on a quick flyover to catch anything obvious, followed by drones to take a closer look.

@Trackergd, how does a search like the one for Barbara work in the field? Assuming the last known location is accurate? How large would her initial search area have been, and how far outside that area would searchers actually go?

I think it's more to the point to ask where, actually, did SBCSO go. Their initial focus was on an area that was a 1 mile axis. .5 mile in each direction from the spot where she was last seen (per their tweets - they tweeted quite a bit during the search, not sure the tweets are still up, so going by memory). There was a helicopter search beyond that area (up behind the Granite Peaks, the helicopters can be seen, I think, in early MSM).

They also searched along the margins of Kelbaker Road, although the pictures show them only about half a mile from the road.

Altogether, it's clear that ~2 square miles were searched pretty thoroughly - and volunteers that were not part of SAR or SBCSO searched as well (one posted here; I believe that person had a drone).

The average ground grid search for a missing person is about 1-2 square miles:

https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(14)00082-9/pdf

That article was the one used to train a lot of us, back in the day. I think some extra territory was covered in Barbara's case (behind the Granite Peaks). For some reason, the searchers thought it likely she had returned to and disappeared in the Peaks/boulders themselves, as they spent 3 days there, 2 with expert climbers (from the twitter feed).

Most missing persons are found within that area. Older missing people are often found half a mile from where they started (although that data is a bit stale, IMO).

It was very hot out there, as right after Barb disappeared, it got hotter - as in 112-115 by mid-afternoon. Dogs can't sniff and pant at the same time (and it's very very non-dog friendly terrain, at least on the Granite Peaks side - the "field" side past Kelbaker is more sandy).

I think it's important we all realize that with about 600,000 Americans going missing each year, there are not resources for bigger searches. Mojave National Preserve at that time didn't really have much/any ranger presence.

It takes a community and intense organization to get a bigger search going.

 

[10ofRods]

I'm curious whether the initial aerial search for her included the area where she was eventually found, without (obviously) her being noticed at that time.

If it did, they can review footage to

1) look for indications she wasn't there during the initial search, indicating she was moved to the eventual location later (whether by a human or by animals or weather forces)

2) use the earlier search images and the known found location to help understand how and why she wasn't seen initially, possibly helping improve results for future desert searches.

I know we'll possibly never hear about it either way, but it does make me curious.

From my point of view (the search was covered by live local news - not in its entirety but certainly showed much aerial searching), they used the helicopter to search west of the Granite Peaks/Hills (they seem to be called different things - Granite Peaks is what's on google)/

Why would a woman, leaving her spouse at the coordinates indicated, climb back or around those huge boulders to get herself lost far from her (visible at the time, from the trail intersection) truck and trailer?

I do not think there was any aerial searching on the east side of the road - but would love to know exactly what happened.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

From my point of view (the search was covered by live local news - not in its entirety but certainly showed much aerial searching), they used the helicopter to search west of the Granite Peaks/Hills (they seem to be called different things - Granite Peaks is what's on google)/

Why would a woman, leaving her spouse at the coordinates indicated, climb back or around those huge boulders to get herself lost far from her (visible at the time, from the trail intersection) truck and trailer?

I do not think there was any aerial searching on the east side of the road - but would love to know exactly what happened.

Yes I would as well.

I would have expected them to search at least a short distance east past the RV, because the most likely of the "lost" scenarios would have been, I assume, that she got off on a wrong bearing somehow and went tangentially past the RV, as opposed to directly away from it in the entirely wrong direction.

I hope we eventually learn more.

<ModSnip>

 

[Richmond]

may Barbara rest in peace.

thank you for keeping her in your hearts and prayers.

@dbdb11, my deepest condolences to you and your family as you grieve the loss of Barbara. I'm sorry your father never had a chance to say goodbye to his sister. I hope knowing she has been found will bring some closure and eventual peace to you all. Thank you for posting the lovely photo of Barbara. She will be remembered.

 

[Kemug]

And condolences from Australia. RIP Barbara

 

[PaulaDC]

Volcanic Fields?
moo

 

[dmac55]

Volcanic Fields?
moo

(bolded by me)

"Amboy Crater is nestled halfway between Barstow and Needles, just off historic Route 66. It is located near, but not within, Mojave National Preserve. A visit to Amboy Crater will definitely take you back in time. Ten thousand years ago, this cinder cone volcano erupted, transforming the surrounding landscape."

Amboy Crater Trail | Hikespeak.com
https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/amboy-crater/

 

[Lilibet]

may Barbara rest in peace.

thank you for keeping her in your hearts and prayers.

My deepest condolences @dbdb11. Thank you for helping us know Barbara better. We grew quite fond her. While we’re glad she was found, it’s still sad for us, and especially her family. Wishing you peace.

 

[Bit of hope]

Such a lovely lady...on her pictures she looked like she absorbed life to the fullest. RIP Barbara.

 

[Cherwell]

Yes. And it also means she may very well have been on the east side of Kelbaker Road.
The other side definitely looks like a "field" as opposed to a cactus garden.

I won't be at all surprised if she had gone to that side of the road and ended up a little outside the search area. If she couldn't get into the RV she might have looked for somewhere away from the road to relieve herself. And if she was affected by heatstroke her thoughts and movements might not be what one would expect.

I do hope that soon enough additional info becomes available that we don't have to parse every word.

Yes, I started that digression, sorry! I was just surprised that the term is used of desert terrain because "field" suggests an enclosed area to me.

 

[girlhasnoname]

So glad you can finally be laid to rest properly Barbra. Peace to her family during this time.

 

[calico3]

I have been following Barbara's disappearance from the beginning...for some reason I have been personally troubled by her missing...maybe because my own son went missing in 2007. I am so happy that our Barbara has been found but still have so many unanswered questions...

 

[Dawookie]

(bolded by me)

"Amboy Crater is nestled halfway between Barstow and Needles, just off historic Route 66. It is located near, but not within, Mojave National Preserve. A visit to Amboy Crater will definitely take you back in time. Ten thousand years ago, this cinder cone volcano erupted, transforming the surrounding landscape."

Amboy Crater Trail | Hikespeak.com
https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/amboy-crater/

I totally forgot about the lava rock. It's everywhere out there. I wish I could remember what phone all my pictures from out there were on

 

[anneg]

I won't be at all surprised if she had gone to that side of the road and ended up a little outside the search area. If she couldn't get into the RV she might have looked for somewhere away from the road to relieve herself. And if she was affected by heatstroke her thoughts and movements might not be what one would expect.


Yes, I started that digression, sorry! I was just surprised that the term is used of desert terrain because "field" suggests an enclosed area to me.

Like you, I have thought this scenario is the most likely one for a long time. She may have been upset with RT for whatever reasons, and may have been suffering ill effects from the heat. If she got back to the RV and couldn't find the key to get in, she might have walked away (my best guess is she went east on Hidden Hills Rd) and ended up outside the search area. I hope we will learn more eventually. I'm so sorry this happened to her.

 

[Cherwell]

Like you, I have thought this scenario is the most likely one for a long time. She may have been upset with RT for whatever reasons, and may have been suffering ill effects from the heat. If she got back to the RV and couldn't find the key to get in, she might have walked away (my best guess is she went east on Hidden Hills Rd) and ended up outside the search area. I hope we will learn more eventually. I'm so sorry this happened to her.

The other possibility which I think 10ofRods mentioned is that when she came to the four-way trail crossing she forgot to turn left and carried straight on. (I'm assuming here that she came from the direction of the wash, but you get what I mean.)
Now I realise that she should have been able to see the RV from there, and that she should have noticed the poles on the southbound trail, but if she was affected by the heat she might nevertheless have been confused enough to go wrong.
If she followed that trail all the way down to the road, she would have come to a parking area opposite - with no RV. What might she have thought, her mind already scrambled by heatstroke?

 

[Reasonable & Just]

I have been following Barbara's disappearance from the beginning...for some reason I have been personally troubled by her missing...maybe because my own son went missing in 2007. I am so happy that our Barbara has been found but still have so many unanswered questions...

I am so sorry, Calico. The holidays and year's end must be so hard for families with the same unanswered questions.

 

[anneg]

The other possibility which I think 10ofRods mentioned is that when she came to the four-way trail crossing she forgot to turn left and carried straight on. (I'm assuming here that she came from the direction of the wash, but you get what I mean.)
Now I realise that she should have been able to see the RV from there, and that she should have noticed the poles on the southbound trail, but if she was affected by the heat she might nevertheless have been confused enough to go wrong.
If she followed that trail all the way down to the road, she would have come to a parking area opposite - with no RV. What might she have thought, her mind already scrambled by heatstroke?

I remember proposing this idea way back in the threads but some posters thought it was quite unlikely that she would have continued down that path. She would have seen the telephone poles and the RV and probably realized that she was going the wrong way. But it still could have happened, IMO.

 

[Cherwell]

I remember proposing this idea way back in the threads but some posters thought it was quite unlikely that she would have continued down that path. She would have seen the telephone poles and the RV and probably realized that she was going the wrong way. But it still could have happened, IMO.

Yes, anyone with all their faculties intact would not make such a mistake. But heatstroke may have affected her perceptions.