Found Deceased CA - Patrick Lynn Welz, 38, Joshua Tree National Park, 05 June 2021

[mlhenn]

Missing Person Search Initiated in Joshua Tree National Park, California

Search underway at Joshua Tree National Park for missing Twentynine Palms man




A search is underway at Joshua Tree National Park for a Twentynine Palms man missing more than a week.

Patrick Lynn Welz, 38, was last seen June 5 when he left to drive to Riverside to visit his father.

He was reported missing on Thursday and park staff found his truck in the Indian Cove parking lot that same day.

Welz is described as a white, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 197 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, dragon and United States Marine Corps insignia tattoos on his arms.

 

[mlhenn]

29 Palms man missing in park

The National Park Service received a report of a missing Twentynine Palms man on June 10 which initiated a search in Joshua Tree National Park.

Patrick Lynn Welz, 38, of Twentynine Palms was last seen June 5 when he left to drive to Riverside to visit his father. Park staff located his truck in the Indian Cove parking lot June 10.

Joshua Tree National Park is investigating and organizing a search operation.

Rangers ask anyone who may have seen or talked to Welz to call or text the NPS Investigation Tip Line at (760) 401-3075.

Rangers ask anyone conducting private searches to stop so they can assess areas without contamination of physical clues necessary to this investigation.

 

[mlhenn]

Search for missing man underway in Joshua Tree National Park - KESQ

This article provide a little more details on where his vehicle was found.

Joshua Tree Park staff found Welz's vehicle at the Indian Cove Parking Lot on June 10.

The Indian Cove Campground is located off of Highway 62, thirteen miles east of Joshua Tree Village and ten miles west of Twentynine Palms.

 

[Unsolved]

Uh oh. Search has been suspended after a body was found:

"Authorities have discovered a body in Southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park.

The discovery prompted them to suspend a search for a missing man.

Park spokesperson Jennie Albrinck said Sunday the body was found in a hiking area and has not been identified. Authorities had been searching for 38-year-old Patrick Lynn Welz."

https://www.10news.com/news/national/body-found-in-joshua-tree-national-park-halting-search

 

[Alexsea]

I am so sorry to read this. I have been following incidents at JT since Bill Ewasco. This park is not to be under-estimated.

 

[rainynights]

Tragic update. RIP Patrick and condolences to his family and friends.
Coroner confirms missing man's body found at Joshua Tree National Park - KESQ

 

[SuziQ]

Tragic update. RIP Patrick and condolences to his family and friends.
Coroner confirms missing man's body found at Joshua Tree National Park - KESQ

Sounds like boulder rolled on him. Very sad. Rest easy, Marine.

 

[moonriverfarm]

How horrible.

 

[dulcinea]

Oh my. I can't even imagine. I hike in Rattlesnake Canyon frequently. This is unheard of.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Sounds like boulder rolled on him. Very sad. Rest easy, Marine.

uff what a way to go

 

[JustJo]

That's awful. The poor guy! How on earth did a boulder roll on him?

 

[j_in_c]

Oh my. I can't even imagine. I hike in Rattlesnake Canyon frequently. This is unheard of.

"On the morning of June 12, a park ranger found what appeared to be a human arm protruding from under a large boulder, the coroner's office revealed"

Parsing that quote a bit more and knowing the terrain, it also could have been that he fell between boulders in a way that wedged his arm such that it was the only thing visible. Alone and injured out in the desert, it isn't great no matter how the accident occurred- if it truly was a boulder that shifted onto him that does seem surprising considering this is a well-traveled trail and an area where tons of people rock climb and boulder. I wouldn't think there were too many unstable boulders that hadn't been purposely shifted into a stable position.

Anyhow - I am glad he was found quickly and I hope that everyone involved is able to find peace.