CA CA - Sandra Hughes, 53, Sierra National Forest/Madera Co, 26 Jun 2020

[mlhenn]

Search continues for missing area woman | Mariposa Gazette

She has been seen on foot by others since her car was located.


Hughes is 5’ 3” and weighs about 130-140 pounds, with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a long multicolored dress and a T-shirt.

She is 53 years old.

I’ll alert mods to include her age in thread title.

 

[zecats]

why would she take personal documents camping with her? unless she was homeless and carried them in her knapsack or bag

What do they mean by personal documents though? Could just be her drivers license. Or some sort of ID. Maybe a permit to camp in the backcountry. JMO

 

[LadyL]

What do they mean by personal documents though? Could just be her drivers license. Or some sort of ID. Maybe a permit to camp in the backcountry. JMO

agree idk what they were

 

[mlhenn]

https://usa-newnews.com/new-news/woman-missing-from-sierra-campsite-south-of-yosemite/

Sadly, unable to find any update

 

[zecats]

Article posted yesterday. July 9. Similar to what we've read. Interesting to note her car has not been towed in case she returns to it.

Search continues for missing area woman | Mariposa Gazette

“I received a call from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office stating that my aunt’s camp, documents and personal information were found in the Johnson Meadows region (between Beasore Road and Minarets Road) of the Sierra National Forest on Thursday,” said Ashley Macus.

“The campsite was quite disheveled,” Macus wrote, with “things thrown about all over almost as if her car and belongings had been emptied carelessly.”

On Monday, a vehicle reportedly belonging to Hughes, 53, was located off Road 5S40 according to family. The sheriff’s office said search and rescue was responding to the area where the car was found and agencies are actively searching for Hughes.

“Her vehicle was involved in a collision with a tree,” said the sheriff’s office spokesperson. “We have not towed it from the area in case she returns to it. She has been seen on foot by others since her car was located. We are still actively investigating and will be sending our Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) teams up there to continue to search.”

 

[mlhenn]

Article posted yesterday. July 9. Similar to what we've read. Interesting to note her car has not been towed in case she returns to it.

Search continues for missing area woman | Mariposa Gazette

“I received a call from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office stating that my aunt’s camp, documents and personal information were found in the Johnson Meadows region (between Beasore Road and Minarets Road) of the Sierra National Forest on Thursday,” said Ashley Macus.

“The campsite was quite disheveled,” Macus wrote, with “things thrown about all over almost as if her car and belongings had been emptied carelessly.”

On Monday, a vehicle reportedly belonging to Hughes, 53, was located off Road 5S40 according to family. The sheriff’s office said search and rescue was responding to the area where the car was found and agencies are actively searching for Hughes.

“Her vehicle was involved in a collision with a tree,” said the sheriff’s office spokesperson. “We have not towed it from the area in case she returns to it. She has been seen on foot by others since her car was located. We are still actively investigating and will be sending our Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) teams up there to continue to search.”

I can’t remember which article it was exactly but it showed several photos. One was of the red or orange sticker they attached to her car window. A note was written on it from LE to contact them if she returned.

 

[Vail]

Madera County Sheriff's Office updates and details. The car was "in a ravine." and her belongings, described by her niece as 'her entire life including sleeping bag and tent' were just dumped in a pile, so this wasn't like she had setup a campsite that just got trampled by a bear or thief. The road she was on was a one-car width 4x4 dirt track that locals are saying is very weird to be driving on versus the main road. I'm curious to hear what the dogs picked up, if anything.

 

[zecats]

Also the distance between her car location and the "campsite" location. Did she carry all this stuff and leave it there? Did someone try to take her things out of her car and away from her and then couldn't carry it all anymore? Just strange. BBM

Woman missing from Sierra campsite south of Yosemite

A woman is being sought after her disheveled campsite was found in a remote area near Yosemite National Park.

Possessions of Sandra Johnsen Hughes — including personal documents — were reportedly found late last week strewn around a campsite along Mugler Creek, in the Sierra National Forest about 10 miles south of Yosemite. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office on Friday contacted the woman’s family members, who said they had not heard from her since June 26.

On Sunday, Hughes’ car — a silver Saab 9-5 — was found off a dirt road near the Chiquito Pass trailhead, five miles north of the campsite, according to a Facebook post from her niece. It had apparently hit a tree.

 

[kelsie]

Update: Still No Sign of Missing Camper, Search Continues | Sierra News Online

“Your family is worried about you,” was written on a sticker attached by Forest Service officials to Sandra Johnsen Hughes’ car, which was found in a ravine about two miles from her campsite.

Law enforcement officials believe the woman’s car crashed into a tree at no more than 20 miles an hour (the air bags did not deploy) and then rolled down into the ravine and became stuck.

“She was barefoot and had a bruise on her face,” said Deputy Sarah Jackson, MCSO public information officer. Jackson said Hughes reportedly declined medical assistance when she came in contact over the weekend with other hikers.

 

[10ofRods]

Woman missing in Sierra National Forest: Authorities find 'disheveled' campsite, apparent car crash

Sandra's family hasn't heard from her since she went camping on June 26. Hikers saw her over the July 4th weekend, barefoot and perhaps disoriented.

Her car was found crashed near Chiquito Campground. The hikers said she had a bruise on her face and was barefoot. They asked if she needed help, she apparently declined assistance.

 

[Curiousobserver]

She was alive 7 days later and cogent enough to speak to someone else. Hopefully she is nearby and simply disoriented.

Is it a common occurrence for people to go camping by themselves? I am not a camping person so I have no paradigm for how this works.

 

[mlhenn]

She was alive 7 days later and cogent enough to speak to someone else. Hopefully she is nearby and simply disoriented.

Is it a common occurrence for people to go camping by themselves? I am not a camping person so I have no paradigm for how this works.

Im not sure about if camping alone is common practice. I feel I hear about it more & more. I personally would feel uneasy camping alone but that’s just me.
I would definitely let someone know when and where I was camping.

 

[Rosegold68]

where is she getting food/water from?

 

[Luckyzmom]

Was she familiar with Johnson Meadow ? Does anyone know where her permanent address is?
It's beautiful up there but don't think I would feel safe with all the hikers etc.
Is it possible she gave up where she was living and needed a break?
MOO

 

[mlhenn]

Was she familiar with Johnson Meadow ? Does anyone know where her permanent address is?
It's beautiful up there but don't think I would feel safe with all the hikers etc.
Is it possible she gave up where she was living and needed a break?
MOO

A previous article stated LE was trying to determine her legal residence.
Still No Sign of Missing Camper, Search Enters Second Week | Sierra News Online

I found this info however:
Hughes had just come to Madera County from Maui, Hawaii. “She said she was quarantining in the National Forest,” Macus added.

Macus said no one in the family has heard from the missing camper since June 26. Macus said Hughes’ mother and brother also live in Pennsylvania.

Hughes had been working in Maui for the past few months, according to her niece, and had lived recently in Idaho too. Twice married with no children, her niece said Hughes was someone who “liked to move around a lot.”

 

[mlhenn]

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/article244176332.html

Here’s an updated article 3 hrs ago (7.12).


Sandra Johnsen Hughes remains missing.

She was last in contact with her family June 26.

She said she was quarantining in the national forest,” said Ashley Macus, her niece, reported Sierra News Online.

Hughes had recently moved to California from Hawaii.

“Things thrown about all over — almost as if her car and belongings had been emptied carelessly,” wrote Macus in a Facebook post shared by the sheriff’s office.

On Monday, searchers found Hughes’ silver Saab, which had apparently rolled into a ravine after colliding with a tree near Chiquito Creek.

She was barefoot and had a bruise on her face,” said deputy Sarah Jackson, reported Sierra News Online. Hughes declined assistance from the hikers.

 

[siliconrod]

On Sunday, Hughes’ car — a silver Saab 9-5 — was found off a dirt road near the Chiquito Pass trailhead, five miles north of the campsite, according to a Facebook post from her niece. It had apparently hit a tree.

It appears Sandra hiked five miles from the crash site to the camp site. This is quite a distance but I guess Sandra is an experience hiker so maybe this is no problem for her. Its possible that Sandra sustained a concussion after the car crash which has resulted in her unusual behavior such as the scattered campsite, refusing medical assistance, walking barefoot and not having any provisions with her or least witnesses have said she a backpack, food or water with her.

 

[mlhenn]

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/article244176332.html

Her abandoned campsite in Johnson Meadows was found “disheveled,” sheriff’s officials wrote.

“Things thrown about all over — almost as if her car and belongings had been emptied carelessly,” wrote Macus in a Facebook post shared by the sheriff’s office.

Do we know if she went back to the campsite after the car mishap?
Could it be possible that she had some type of incident (not too sure what) which caused either someone or herself to throw things all over her campsite as well as her car. (Based in part of article above) Then drove her car, crashing it, making things even worse..never returning to the campsite??

 

[10ofRods]

Earlier articles said car and camp were 5 miles apart, but this article from Sierra News Online says 2 miles.

Also, doesn't seem clear where the "hikers" were when they saw her. The article seems to say she was seen on the 4th.

Still No Sign of Missing Camper, Search Enters Second Week | Sierra News Online

 

[LAhiker]

It appears Sandra hiked five miles from the crash site to the camp site. This is quite a distance but I guess Sandra is an experience hiker so maybe this is no problem for her. Its possible that Sandra sustained a concussion after the car crash which has resulted in her unusual behavior such as the scattered campsite, refusing medical assistance, walking barefoot and not having any provisions with her or least witnesses have said she a backpack, food or water with her.

Five miles isn't a long hike for an experienced hiker. If it was only two miles, that's even easier. Here are two possible scenarios.

Scenario 1
-Hughes drives to the campsite, possibly sets up camp, goes hiking.
-Then at some point, something happens (medical, psychological, pharmacological, or an outside threat such as an attacker). She dumps things from car into campsite and drives off.
-She has a car crash where the car was found. She then walks off from there, bruised, barefoot, and possibly disoriented. Someone asks her how she's doing but she refuses medical assistance.
(In this scenario, what isn't clear is what led the campsite to be so disheveled. It also sounds like extra things were dumped out of the car.)

Scenario 2
-Hughes drives to the campsite, sets up camp, goes hiking.
-She drives off to find a particular car and has an accident.
-Barefoot and bruised, she walks back to the campsite and goes through her things or throws them around. Someone sees her near there, but she refuses medical assistance.
(In this scenario, it's still unclear exactly why the campsite was disheveled or why she didn't just hunker down, but the accident itself might provide some explanation if it caused her to be disoriented or confused.)

To choose between these two scenarios, one would need more details about where she was seen barefoot, the exact condition of the campsite, where the tracking dogs thought she went, etc. Of course, some third thing might've happened.