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

[azure]

I was at Joshua Tree in May. The whole park is basically on a loop, and it's super crowded. There was maybe one time our entire visit when we weren't in sight of at least one other visitor. I'm pretty sure even at that point we were in earshot of other guests. I am sure once you get off the beaten path it gets remote quickly, and especially in high temperatures...still I find it somewhat strange that there has been no sign of them.

 

[AffirmationChick]

Poking around the internet for anything interesting. Unfortunately since Rachel's name is pretty common she's harder to weed through.

Did find an article from a couple days ago (http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...ng-Hikers-Frustrates-Searchers-438432343.html). In the article it mentions this, which I don't remember seeing previously:

Members of both families have traveled to Joshua Tree to assist with the search. They described Nguyen and Orbeso as friends, not a couple. Both had previously attended CSUF. Neither is enrolled for this coming fall term, according to the University.

Has anyone seen anything about one or both of them transferring? Seems a little random they stopped at the same time.


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[GigTu]

They may have graduated.

 

[Livefortheday99]

Rachel just turned 20 on the day she went missing, maybe taking a year off in between? Again kind of weird

 

[mbison]

I think the official search was stopped a few days ago, family and friends are still searching. Like many of these national park cases, there is a good chance they will never be found.

 

[thekarmabus]

I think the official search was stopped a few days ago, family and friends are still searching. Like many of these national park cases, there is a good chance they will never be found.

People are usually found. Only 22 cases in 47 years unsolved . Technology is greater now as well as SM check ins. It would seem odd for them not to find their bodies.


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[mbison]

People are usually found. Only 22 cases in 47 years unsolved . Technology is greater now as well as SM check ins. It would seem odd for them not to find their bodies.


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What? Thousands of people have disappeared from state & national parks in that time frame. Probably 22 have gone missing from Joshua Tree alone. I suggest checking out the work done by David Paulides to uncover this tragedy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Paulides

 

[Elainera]

I am so heat-intolerant. I don't know how people do it, going hiking, playing sports, etc., in extreme heat! And I feel so bad for people who have to work outside in the heat.

I hate thinking of these two out suffering in the elements.

Heat-intolerant - me too! I'm absolutely useless when temps are in the 90s only. I checked and according accuweather on the day they went out (July 27) high temps were 111 degrees! That's incredibly hot.

 

[GigTu]

Are there watering holes anywhere in the park?

 

[Elainera]

Would not allow me to edit. Drug use? Is it possible they could have taken something and just wandered? Which in this case they could be close to Mexico.


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Drugs - I guess it is possible.

 

[thekarmabus]

What? Thousands of people have disappeared from state & national parks in that time frame. Probably 22 have gone missing from Joshua Tree alone. I suggest checking out the work done by David Paulides to uncover this tragedy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Paulides

This is from a gov site. I'm speaking of unsolved cold cases. Not cases where person was found deceased.
https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/cold-cases.htm


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[moonriverfarm]

It's just sad.

 

[Jenjen37]

I am too. It turns me into a horrible witch.

Heat-intolerant - me too! I'm absolutely useless when temps are in the 90s only. I checked and according accuweather on the day they went out (July 27) high temps were 111 degrees! That's incredibly hot.

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[GigTu]

I feel they are somewhere inside the paved road perimeters. When you go to the map, there are some rugged and loose rock areas east of the car. If they were walking in circles, why can't they find them? Surely they stayed on washes or trails... or climbed to the top of a peak. jmo

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0912709,-116.1709318,18z/data=!3m1!1e3

 

[Coldpizza]

Friendly reminder on SM Rules


Not Allowed

Social media pages that fall in the following categories are OFF LIMITS.

Family members of either a victim or a suspect
Friends of either a victim or a suspect
Most any other individual

Don't link to these pages, nor make reference to information you find on them.

 

[Force Ten]

I feel they are somewhere inside the paved road perimeters. When you go to the map, there are some rugged and loose rock areas east of the car. If they were walking in circles, why can't they find them? Surely they stayed on washes or trails... or climbed to the top of a peak. jmo

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0912709,-116.1709318,18z/data=!3m1!1e3

These were supposed experienced hikers, so you would think they would go to a high point (the trial circles around a large hill) and try to see the road with cars and then make their way in that direction.


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[Elainera]

I feel they are somewhere inside the paved road perimeters. When you go to the map, there are some rugged and loose rock areas east of the car. If they were walking in circles, why can't they find them? Surely they stayed on washes or trails... or climbed to the top of a peak. jmo

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0912709,-116.1709318,18z/data=!3m1!1e3

Thank you for the map GigTu! I'm again wondering whether they had a map and a compass with them. It's only a few miles north, south or west (east is a bit further) till you hit a road. But since they were walking in circles I guess they did not have a compass.

Maybe they were incapacitated fairly quickly. Maybe they already ran out of water on day 2 (Friday) and suffered from heat exhaustion and dehydration on day 3 and had to stop walking. Hunkered down in a cooler canyon and did not have the strength anymore to get up again to put any signs somewhere.

 

[GigTu]

It makes sense that they didn't make it very many days, since there's been no trace of them.

If walking in circles for the first day, running out of water on day 2-3, and hunkering down by day 4.... how far could they have gotten? I suspect not too far past the rugged, boulder-y mountain tops. Maybe one of them fell, and the other trekked out on their own for help, and got more lost... alone.

Plus, the dangers of the flash floods.

 

[thekarmabus]

Did anyone ever state how far the circle pattern of the steps were from the actual car?


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[cbeagle]

Would not allow me to edit. Drug use? Is it possible they could have taken something and just wandered? Which in this case they could be close to Mexico.

I doubt they are near Mexico, it's around a 100 miles as the crow flies.