Recovered/Located NV - Ronnie (found deceased) & Beverly Barker (taken for med care), RV trip, Stagecoach, 27 Mar 2022

[Herat]

One other thing I forgot to mention: Elevation

This is all fairly high elevation for people who normally live in Illinois.

Luning NV is at 6400 ft and Tonopah NV is at 6000 ft. Lake Tahoe NV lake level is at 6500 ft for comparison, and we think of that as an alpine lake.
It's surprisingly cold at that elevation at night. Right now, the low temps in Luning and Tonopah are in the high 30's or low 40's but, for example, there is a weather front coming in next week that will bring the nighttime temps down below freezing.

This sort of elevation could be associated with respiratory or even cardiac issues if either one of them is prone to these kinds of ailments. I would have thought that they would be able to communicate with relatives about any untoward health issue that was developing.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I share your sadness. It gets to be PTSD sort of thing if you let all this overwhelm you.

I was getting some relief with the onset of sunshine and spring flowers after Naomi Irion was found, but these two nice people missing is another black cloud over the nature of humanity.

I joined this group just to follow this thread. I know Ron and Bev very well and they're extremely nice people. I worked with Ron for a number of years in the mid 2000s and he is literally one of the nicest, most laidback people you could ever meet. Nothing phased the guy and I learned a lot from him. He was a network engineer for our company and is very technically savvy, which is why the lack of cell phone signals concerns me so much.

 

[Kecharaeq2]

One other thing I forgot to mention: Elevation

This is all fairly high elevation for people who normally live in Illinois.

Luning NV is at 6400 ft and Tonopah NV is at 6000 ft. Lake Tahoe NV lake level is at 6500 ft for comparison, and we think of that as an alpine lake.
It's surprisingly cold at that elevation at night. Right now, the low temps in Luning and Tonopah are in the high 30's or low 40's but, for example, there is a weather front coming in next week that will bring the nighttime temps down below freezing.

This sort of elevation could be associated with respiratory or even cardiac issues if either one of them is prone to these kinds of ailments. I would have thought that they would be able to communicate with relatives about any untoward health issue that was developing.

Very good point. Since they were older, they would be more likely to have heart or breathing issues. However, health issues wouldn’t incapacitate both at the same time, so if there was a health problem, whatever happened to them both must have happened shortly after or the non-ill spouse should have been able to call (cell service permitting, of course).

 

[Herat]

FR24

On Flightradar 24 there is a Bell helicopter up along the canyons in a small ridge of mountains west of Hawthorne, near Buller Mountain and Big Indian Mountain. There is at least one mine in this area. This isn't an area I have notice any kind of activity in before. Seems awfully rugged and not clearly associated with a paved street or highway.

Sometimes these Bell helicopters are doing Nevada BLM wildlife surveys, such as for Bighorn Mountain Sheep. Sometimes these helicopters are doing maintenance on mountain-top cell towers.

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

Edited to add: That helicopter is now on the ground at the Carson City NV airport. Could be working for BLM, could be working for the State.

 

[Kecharaeq2]

I joined this group just to follow this thread. I know Ron and Bev very well and they're extremely nice people. I worked with Ron for a number of years in the mid 2000s and he is literally one of the nicest, most laidback people you could ever meet. Nothing phased the guy and I learned a lot from him. He was a network engineer for our company and is very technically savvy, which is why the lack of cell phone signals concerns me so much.

Welcome!
I’m so sorry that this horrible situation has brought you to us but you are most welcome here.

 

[Herat]

I joined this group just to follow this thread. I know Ron and Bev very well and they're extremely nice people. I worked with Ron for a number of years in the mid 2000s and he is literally one of the nicest, most laidback people you could ever meet. Nothing phased the guy and I learned a lot from him. He was a network engineer for our company and is very technically savvy, which is why the lack of cell phone signals concerns me so much.

Thank you for sharing this. I, too, worry about the lack of phone signals as well as just plain.... nothing, no trace.

 

[zecats]

I joined this group just to follow this thread. I know Ron and Bev very well and they're extremely nice people. I worked with Ron for a number of years in the mid 2000s and he is literally one of the nicest, most laidback people you could ever meet. Nothing phased the guy and I learned a lot from him. He was a network engineer for our company and is very technically savvy, which is why the lack of cell phone signals concerns me so much.

Welcome to WS. Sorry it has to be under these uneasy circumstances. And thanks for the info. He should indeed be tech savvy. No cellular service is just that though, no matter how good one is with it. Hopefully they're trying 911 as it often works even when there is no service..at least for outgoing calls.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Welcome to WS. Sorry it has to be under these uneasy circumstances. And thanks for the info. He should indeed be tech savvy. No cellular service is just that though, no matter how good one is with it. Hopefully they're trying 911 as it often works even when there is no service..at least for outgoing calls.

Ron would know this too. Not only was he a network engineer, but he was a radio enthusiast and worked in communications for the military for many years. That's what worries me so much.

 

[charminglane]

@IndyColtsFan, Welcome.
I logged on wondering what job either of these two missing had, and if that might be a benefit to keep them safe.
We are glad you are here to increase the positive vibe frequency coming from Websleuths, 24/7.

 

[Kecharaeq2]

Ron would know this too. Not only was he a network engineer, but he was a radio enthusiast and worked in communications for the military for many years. That's what worries me so much.

If I may make a suggestion, and forgive me if you are already doing this, but I would reach out to the newspapers and TV stations that cover the search areas in Nevada. There are ways that they could get a recording from you and they are more likely to get the word out from their end if they have new information/footage to show. You can also talk about them, who they are, the info regarding Ron’s technical knowledge etc. It might bring more people out if they organize public searches.

 

[zecats]

Tentative timeline of sightings and pings from FB page. There is an (as of yet) unexplained discrepancy over the 5 hour difference between last sighting and last ping. It is not a 5 hour distance. Also explained to be the last of at least 2 pings and time for first (or others) not known or reported.

 

[annpats]

I do hope the Search & Rescue involves a helicopter.....

 

[Herat]

If I may make a suggestion, and forgive me if you are already doing this, but I would reach out to the newspapers and TV stations that cover the search areas in Nevada. There are ways that they could get a recording from you and they are more likely to get the word out from their end if they have new information/footage to show. You can also talk about them, who they are, the info regarding Ron’s technical knowledge etc. It might bring more people out if they organize public searches.

I would also reach out to news agencies in the Bishop, California and Las Vegas areas.

These are linked to their last location by direct roads.

 

[roguelady]

Tentative timeline of sightings and pings from FB page. There is an (as of yet) unexplained discrepancy over the 5 hour difference between last sighting and last ping. It is not a 5 hour distance. Also explained to be the last of at least 2 pings and time for first (or others) not known or reported.

Yes, this is very concerning. According to maps, the driving time between last sighting and ping off tower at Coaldale is only 35 minutes!! Where were they for 4-1/2 hours? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Coaldale is the last known phone ping location, right? So after that, complete silence since that evening of the 27th? No sightings or communication. Please find this wonderful couple!! Lots of people searching and lots of prayers.

 

[Herat]

Do we know if their cell phones and apple watches were regularly pinging on that drive along Highway 95, like Hansel and Gretel leaving little electronic information crumbs, so there would be a ping accounted for all that time? Would LE be able to line up their phone pings with the Nevada highway camera captures?

 

[Herat]

Yes, this is very concerning. According to maps, the driving time between last sighting and ping off tower at Coaldale is only 35 minutes!! Where were they for 4-1/2 hours? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Coaldale is the last known phone ping location, right? So after that, complete silence since that evening of the 27th? No sightings or communication. Please find this wonderful couple!! Lots of people searching and lots of prayers.

As I mentioned, above, there are really only two areas that one might consider visiting on this drive between Hawthorne and Coaldale.

The two ghost towns of Belville and Candelaria, with the entrance an old paved road south of Mina, or Fish Springs Hot Springs, off of Highway 6. I would think that if their phones were functional, there would be somewhat of a trail that would indicate which direction they had chosen to go.

 

[Herat]

Drive through Luning, NV and you see it's not much and not very promising. I notice a small rest stop on the north side of the highway. Would they have a small dog that they would have wanted to exercise there?

Google Maps

 

[samsmom]

I’m glad to see people that know the Barker’s. This is an awesome no bull site to gather great sleuth ideas.
Welcome.

we need to invite the RV’ers familiar to Gabby’s case.

 

[Herat]

Of note, they are driving on a Sunday afternoon. There will be traffic coming north from Las Vegas to the northern Nevada, Reno-Tahoe area on the road, for sure. Likely there is always a vehicle within sight, as a northbound driver would be only 3 hours from Reno at that point.

It would be difficult to get pulled over or to have been in some sort of accident or distress situation without someone noticing.

 

[Kecharaeq2]

I’m glad to see people that know the Barker’s. This is an awesome no bull site to gather great sleuth ideas.
Welcome.

we need to invite the RV’ers familiar to Gabby’s case.

Excellent Idea!
They are one of the most likely groups that might have seen them and being fellow travelers, they may also have talked to them somewhere along the way. Someone could know something but not realize it’s important.