Found Deceased CA - Diem Le Nguyen, 50, Nighthawk Trail on Black Mountain, 23 June 2024

[RickshawFan]

For an organized group hike of any kind, a leader would be stopping every once in a while to do a count, especially at any forks. There would also be a sweep to make sure no one lagged. That would have been a crucial protocol in this case.

 

[Herat]

Some of those trails might be mountain bike trails, e.g. Black Widow. It has a lotta wiggles. And it’s the kind of name you’d give a squirrly MTB trail. Then, they might not be on AllTrails.

The Black Mountain Openspace area is being constricted by anaconda-like housing tracts and what was once a lot of hiking and biking trails seem like they are getting heavy local and neighborhood use as there are fewer and fewer open spaces in that hugely desirable San Diego area, There is also a gliderport in that area and trails toward it.

 

[Herat]

For an organized group hike of any kind, a leader would be stopping every once in a while to do a count, especially at any forks. There would also be a sweep to make sure no one lagged. That would have been a crucial protocol in this case.

The Nighthawk trail is clearly getting hundreds of hikers or trail runners each day that the temperatures and weather allows. You wouldn't think you would need a buddy system, but this is probably exactly when a group leader would need one.

 

[slowpoke]

Who took the photo her at the Black Mountain summit with the charity black T-shirt on?

^ snipped

This news link includes a link to the livestream taken by the organizer of the group.

The article explains:
“According to organizer Jimmy Thai Dtm, part of the group turned around midway to the top, while Le Nguyen continued up to the summit with those that stayed on the hike.”

(Yeah, earlier reports was confusing, making it sound like she continued up alone.)

So, someone within the group took her photo by the sign.

 

[Artis]

Entirely different environment but a good ending to a lost California hiker story :

Astonishing pics show hiker found alive after surviving 10 days in wilderness

A HIKER who went missing for 10 days in the remote California mountains has survived with nothing more than a pair of pants and a torch. Lukas McClish, 34, embarked on what was meant to be a t…

www.thesun.co.uk

And this:

"I had a mountain lion that was following me, but it was cool.

"It kept its distances. I think it was just somebody watching over me."

 

[Herat]

^ snipped

This news link includes a link to the livestream taken by the organizer of the group.

The article explains:
“According to organizer Jimmy Thai Dtm, part of the group turned around midway to the top, while Le Nguyen continued up to the summit with those that stayed on the hike.”

(Yeah, earlier reports was confusing, making it sound like she continued up alone.)

So, someone within the group took her photo by the sign.

Thanks

And then what happened that separated her from the others on the summit when she apparently needed water and was overheated ? I would think the hikers from the charity who continued on to the summit would just naturally all gravitate together for the descent. One you've reached the top there is really nothing else to see.

 

[Herat]

Entirely different environment but a good ending to a lost California hiker story :

Astonishing pics show hiker found alive after surviving 10 days in wilderness

A HIKER who went missing for 10 days in the remote California mountains has survived with nothing more than a pair of pants and a torch. Lukas McClish, 34, embarked on what was meant to be a t…

www.thesun.co.uk

And this:

"I had a mountain lion that was following me, but it was cool.

"It kept its distances. I think it was just somebody watching over me."

Yeah, this story is all kinds of whack.

 

[Artis]

The Black Mountain Openspace area is being constricted by anaconda-like housing tracts and what was once a lot of hiking and biking trails seem like they are getting heavy local and neighborhood use as there are fewer and fewer open spaces in that hugely desirable San Diego area, There is also a gliderport in that area and trails toward it.

BBM

Great description.

 

[Artis]

Yeah, this story is all kinds of whack.

That guy is the man, is he not? Such a great attitude. One look at that mountain lion and it wouldn't even have to kill me because I'd have a heart attack. This guy, though, maybe it's his spirit animal, lol.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

In red is the nighthawk trail Diem was supposed to be on. In green is the service road. The blue cross is approximately where she was supposedly found.

It looks like she must have followed the correct trail at least part of the way back, and then someone got lost in the mountains to the south. The sad thing is, if she managed to walk all that distance, she could have easily made it back to the correct trailhead and the rest of the walking party.

It's also befuddling that nobody saw her wandering off.

 

[clorenc]

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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View attachment 512955

In red is the nighthawk trail Diem was supposed to be on. In green is the service road. The blue cross is approximately where she was supposedly found.

It looks like she must have followed the correct trail at least part of the way back, and then someone got lost in the mountains to the south. The sad thing is, if she managed to walk all that distance, she could have easily made it back to the correct trailhead and the rest of the walking party.

It's also befuddling that nobody saw her wandering off.

Did her phone die at some point?

 

[clorenc]

That guy is the man, is he not? Such a great attitude. One look at that mountain lion and it wouldn't even have to kill me because I'd have a heart attack. This guy, though, maybe it's his spirit animal, lol.

He certainly made some interesting . . . decisions. I have a few questions. But I’m glad he was found.

 

[Artis]

He certainly made some interesting . . . decisions. I have a few questions. But I’m glad he was found.

He was comfortable in the environment and had access to abundant water so very much in his favor. That he said it was an awesome experience speaks to his sense of adventure, I guess! So glad he didn't become lion lunch.

 

[Herat]

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

View attachment 512955

In red is the nighthawk trail Diem was supposed to be on. In green is the service road. The blue cross is approximately where she was supposedly found.

It looks like she must have followed the correct trail at least part of the way back, and then someone got lost in the mountains to the south. The sad thing is, if she managed to walk all that distance, she could have easily made it back to the correct trailhead and the rest of the walking party.

It's also befuddling that nobody saw her wandering off.

There are a couple of trail junctions where she could have made the wrong choice, not thinking that the trail seemed to be getting more narrow and indistinct, rather than more open and expansive as the lower part of the Nighthawk trail gets.

If her phone GPS had been working, she might have been able to see how far off the Nighthawk trail she had gone. Yet not apparent 911 calls - which would have had a lot of coverage in that area. And What3Words would have been simple to use there.

Was it phone power failure or did she drop her phone somewhere?

 

[Herat]

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

View attachment 512955

In red is the nighthawk trail Diem was supposed to be on. In green is the service road. The blue cross is approximately where she was supposedly found.

It looks like she must have followed the correct trail at least part of the way back, and then someone got lost in the mountains to the south. The sad thing is, if she managed to walk all that distance, she could have easily made it back to the correct trailhead and the rest of the walking party.
kT
It's also befuddling that nobody saw her wandering off.

Between the red Nighthawk trail and the blue cross, there are a lot of spidery smaller trails that look like biking and trail runner trails, most of which can be seen on the Google maps. The RoadRunner Loop, in particular looks like how she could have gone as far as she did. Some photos of the trails look as though the brush is high enough that it obscures the view of the parking area or the major trail. If she had been able to find a trail going west of Road Runner Loop, she would have come to Nighthawk Trail.

However, she would have to have been bushwhacking to end up where she was and at that point the expenditure of energy in that searing heat is overwhelming. Bushwhacking would be a move of desperation to get through to a road and I feel so bad that she just couldn't make it.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/us/california/san-diego?b_tl_lat=32.9825940027018&b_tl_lng=-117.1137106795247&b_br_lat=32.968782638826525&b_br_lng=-117.08967977842997&mob

 

[Herat]

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

View attachment 512955

In red is the nighthawk trail Diem was supposed to be on. In green is the service road. The blue cross is approximately where she was supposedly found.

It looks like she must have followed the correct trail at least part of the way back, and then someone got lost in the mountains to the south. The sad thing is, if she managed to walk all that distance, she could have easily made it back to the correct trailhead and the rest of the walking party.
kT
It's also befuddling that nobody saw her wandering off.

Between the red Nighthawk trail and the blue cross, there are a lot of spidery smaller trails that look like biking and trail runner trails, most of which can be seen on the Google maps. The RoadRunner Loop, in particular looks like how she could have gone as far as she did. Some photos of the trails look as though the brush is high enough that it obscures the view of the parking area or the major trail. If she had been able to find a trail going west of Road Runner Loop, she would have come to Nighthawk Trail.

However, she would have to have been bushwhacking to end up where she was and at that point the expenditure of energy in that searing heat is overwhelming. Bushwhacking would be a move of desperation to get through to a road and I feel so bad that she just couldn't make it.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/us/california/san-diego?b_tl_lat=32.9825940027018&b_tl_lng=-117.1137106795247&b_br_lat=32.968782638826525&b_br_lng=-117.08967977842997&mob

 

[Herat]

dbm, triplicate post

 

[clorenc]

However, she would have to have been bushwhacking to end up where she was and at that point the expenditure of energy in that searing heat is overwhelming. Bushwhacking would be a move of desperation to get through to a road and I feel so bad that she just couldn't make it.

I doubt she could’ve done any bushwhacking, with neither the strength nor the tools. But I don’t think she needed to anyway. The unmarked trail that spurs off from the bottom of the Roadrunner Loop Trail, toward the direction her body was found, looks pretty clear when I zoom in on Google Maps. I think that’s the way she went.
32°58'16.5"N 117°06'20.5"W

Seems she just unfortunately chose a remote trail, with no one around to see or hear her.

This blog includes some photos of the Roadrunner Loop Trail:

Fun Diego Family Hikes San Diego's Black Mountain Loop

This is our guide to hiking Little Black Mountain Loop Trail in San Diego's Black Mountain Open Space Park. This is a fairly easy 3 mile hike with some optional add-ons.

fundiegofamily.com

“The Roadrunner Loop is a straight out-and-back loop that is hard to get lost on. It goes out on the southern ridge giving nice views of the southern I-15 corridor. This is the type of narrow trail where I am always on the lookout for rattlesnakes.”

 

[TheMom77]

Yesterday evening, my teen son went on his usual walk, and after a while (with this story and others on my mind), I started to worry that he didn’t have enough water or that he would tire out from the extreme heat. So I drove out to where he was walking back. He was so annoyed at me for doing that, as teens sometimes are, lol. He told me that he had waited until a cooler part of the day and he knows how to be safe. I gave him an earful about how even capable people feel overwhelmed by the heat.

My thoughts are with Diem’s family as they navigate this sad loss.

 

[Herat]

Family members describe Diem as very careful and say the route had been marked out with chalk.

Family reveals details on Black Mountain hiker presumed dead, Diem Le Nguyen

San Diego hiker Diem Le Nguyen is presumed dead after searchers found the body of a woman matching her description just after 9 a.m. on Monday. A family member spoke with NBC 7 on Monday about this mother of three.

www.nbcsandiego.com