Found Deceased CA - Rachel Nguyen, 20, & Joseph Orbeso, 21, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park, 27 July 2017 #1

[Xiola]

Ok, so this is weird. I just posted about 4 missing men from Southern California and two of them have the last name Nguyen. I'm aware this is a somewhat common name but I'm wondering if there is any connection between Rachel and the two men with the same last name that went missing in May. Their thread here: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...our-Missing-Men-Trinity-County-18-19-May-2017

More like EXTREMELY common (esp. in California), for what it's worth.

 

[Gardener1850]

I don't know the answer to your question but the mention of thermal imaging planes which obviously have yielded no results so far, makes me really worried. If these two are in the search area, and are alive, shouldn't such a plane easily spot them?

I agree. It's looking very bleak at this point.

 

[crhedBngr]

Praying both are found soon. Our forecast out here (Southern CA) indicates extremely HOT weather for the next few days. Joshua Tree National Park is due east of here, the forecast for tomorrow shows temps in the low 100's. I'm hoping they had adequate hydration, including electrolyte tablets, to replace lost minerals due to the heat.

 

[alawaysslueth]

I pray they are found safe soon... I cannot even imagine being out there in that kind of heat without any kind of shelter or water

 

[dulcinea]

I've never been hiking a day in my life (bad knees) so I have no concept of scouting out a hiking trail. How do you do that? Walk a little ways and look around? And not hike the whole thing to get an idea of what it would be like? But that doesn't tell you hard easy or hard it is a couple of miles in or a few miles from where you would exit. Sorry to be so dense on this subject. Go easy on me. LOL

For us, scouting a trail means scouting the entire area. We start with a map or guide book to get an idea of the length of the trail, its conditions, the difficulty, and what we can expect to see. We narrow it down to trails we think we'd like to explore, then do a "drive by" of sorts to see if the trail is like what we're imagining. Then we prioritize where we want to hike based on all of what we read and saw. It helps us feel organized and helps us make the most of our trip. If you only have a short amount of time, scouting is very helpful. We hike frequently and almost always scout before we start hiking. I like to be organized.

 

[Desert Cruiser]

Cell Tower locations, which one? Who's car was it?

http://www.cellreception.com/towers/towers.php?city=joshua tree&state_abr=ca

 

[Satchie]

I don't know the answer to your question but the mention of thermal imaging planes which obviously have yielded no results so far, makes me really worried. If these two are in the search area, and are alive, shouldn't such a plane easily spot them?

Thermal imaging won't find someone sheltering behind a boulder or in a cave.

A few points I noticed from this write-up on the trails where they went hiking https://backpackers.com/spring-hikes-the-maze-loop-in-joshua-tree-national-park-california/

- hike before beginning of June, not during summer, the heat is too extreme
- the trails aren't well signed and easy to get lost
- bring a map and compass and alert park rangers of your plans before you go
- there are peaks that will give great views if you're willing to scramble up them, but make sure you know how to get back to the trail.
- the loop described is quite strenous and would take 4-5 hours.

Since they were supposed to check out of their Airbnb by 11, and considering the mid-day heat, it seems to me they intended a quite brief hike. Unfortunately, that might mean they didn't bring much water.

 

[SandyQLS]

Upthread someone mentioned the potential to encounter a mountain lion, bobcat or coyote. IMO those creatures are more likely to avoid humans. The real danger is the up to 6 kinds of rattlesnakes that might be in the area. In hot summer months, they are out hunting evening through early morning, and hide from the sun all day. The two really bad ones are the Northern Mojave and Southern Pacific, but there could also be Southwestern Speckled, Red Diamond, Western Diamondback and Sidewinders (Colorado Desert or Mojave Desert).

Fascinating website - this is the page for the Northern Mojave Rattlesnake. The large square red area on the map is San Bernardino County, the long skinny county just below is Riverside - just about there in the red range where the counties meet is the JTNF:

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/c.s.scutulatus.html

 

[Jordan.marie12]

Rachel- why would you just leave like this. I'm so scared for you. Every day I get more and more worried you. I imagine all of the worst case scenarios. I'm scared you're suffering. It's so hard for me to go about my every day life knowing you are struggling. There are so many of us who are praying for you. I hope you come home safe I'm just so worried. I want to thank everyone here who is concerned for my friend your support means the world to us. Rachel I just want you home safe I can't imagine never seeing you again.

 

[Seajay]

For us, scouting a trail means scouting the entire area. We start with a map or guide book to get an idea of the length of the trail, its conditions, the difficulty, and what we can expect to see. We narrow it down to trails we think we'd like to explore, then do a "drive by" of sorts to see if the trail is like what we're imagining. Then we prioritize where we want to hike based on all of what we read and saw. It helps us feel organized and helps us make the most of our trip. If you only have a short amount of time, scouting is very helpful. We hike frequently and almost always scout before we start hiking. I like to be organized.

Thank you for explaining it to me. I thought you actually had to HIKE the trail to scout it, which made me wonder what the difference was between the two.

 

[SandyQLS]

Photo #1: A Lexus driven by a missing couple was found about 1 1/2 miles from an entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. (Credit: Hi-Desert Star) ....... Photo#2: Searchers look for Rachel Nguyen and Joseph Orbeso on July 31, 2017. (Credit: KTLA)

 

[Seajay]

Thermal imaging won't find someone sheltering behind a boulder or in a cave.

A few points I noticed from this write-up on the trails where they went hiking https://backpackers.com/spring-hikes-the-maze-loop-in-joshua-tree-national-park-california/

- hike before beginning of June, not during summer, the heat is too extreme
- the trails aren't well signed and easy to get lost
- bring a map and compass and alert park rangers of your plans before you go
- there are peaks that will give great views if you're willing to scramble up them, but make sure you know how to get back to the trail.
- the loop described is quite strenous and would take 4-5 hours.

Since they were supposed to check out of their Airbnb by 11, and considering the mid-day heat, it seems to me they intended a quite brief hike. Unfortunately, that might mean they didn't bring much water.

Do we know if they checked in with the park rangers before they went up the trail?

Gosh, it sounds like they lost the trail and couldn't find it again. It sounds like it's really easy to do (losing the trail.)

And if they only planned on a brief hike, then they wouldn't have brought a very large water supply.

This makes me even more anxious about their safety and well-being. They need to be located soon.

 

[DVJustice]

Rachel- why would you just leave like this. I'm so scared for you. Every day I get more and more worried you. I imagine all of the worst case scenarios. I'm scared you're suffering. It's so hard for me to go about my every day life knowing you are struggling. There are so many of us who are praying for you. I hope you come home safe I'm just so worried. I want to thank everyone here who is concerned for my friend your support means the world to us. Rachel I just want you home safe I can't imagine never seeing you again.

I really don't have anything constructive to add, I know nothing about hiking, deserts, or even the West Coast. But I do want to tell you I hope they are found soon, so your pain can be eased. As well as the pain of all their other friends and family.

 

[spiritseeker31]

The hood is up on their Lexus. Has anyone read about possible car trouble? The article posted a few posts ago mentions the car is a mile and a half from the entrance. Are there various trailhead where the car is parked or are they literally 1.5 miles from the trails?


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[spiritseeker31]

The hood is up on their Lexus. Has anyone read about possible car trouble? The article posted a few posts ago mentions the car is a mile and a half from the entrance. Are there various trailhead where the car is parked or are they literally 1.5 miles from the trails?


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I found my answer to my second question. My phone won't let me edit. Apparently I don't comprehend well at 5am. But still wondering about why the hood is up on the car....

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[Blondie in Spokane]

I found my answer to my second question. My phone won't let me edit. Apparently I don't comprehend well at 5am. But still wondering about why the hood is up on the car....

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I was wondering about the hood too.

 

[Desert Cruiser]

I was wondering about the hood too.

I guess if I had car troubles I wouldn't go down a trail, I would stay on the asphalt or walk on the road for assistance.....

 

[Satchie]

I think getting lost is the most likely scenario, it's a big risk in the desert. Then, unfortunately, suffering from panic and dehydration/overheating, hikers may walk for miles in the wrong direction. However, there's still hope, here's a story about a man lost for 6 days in the park (warning long read): http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/06/local/la-me-1006-hiker-20101005

 

[iscaremyself]

I guess if I had car troubles I wouldn't go down a trail, I would stay on the asphalt or walk on the road for assistance.....

right, kidnapping is a possibility. Why would police raise the hood and leave it up? I assume it was locked and had gas so would a locksmith gain entry via under the hood? An article described athletic belongings in the car so entry was made early on.
Could they have hiked, returned, then the car wouldn't start? Simplest explanation is the cops raised it. That would put them lost in the desert.

 

[Satchie]

I think putting the hood up was something the police did, just to make their car more obvious to investigators and searchers, and signal that no one should go near it because there are tracks around it.