Recovered/Located CA - Cecil Knutson (dec'd), Dianna Bedwell (inj'd), Valley Ctr, 10 May 2015

I cant imagine. So sad. So long to be waiting to be found.
 
Thank you for the news and updates, marinthinker and taagean.

Autopsy Reveals Cause of Death in Case of Missing Couple
Dianna Bedwell, 67, and her husband Cecil "Paul" Knutson, 79, were found two weeks after they left Valley View Casino in Warner Springs

By R. Stickney, NBC7 San Deigo,
1:49 pm pdt, Thursday, July 9th, '15

Mr. "Cecil “Paul” Knutson", once a marine, who is set to be honored on "July 10 at Riverside National Cemetery," on "22495 Van Buren Blvd," (KESQ News Channel 3 6/15), perished, "according to the report from the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office," of a "heart attack." The corner


"categorized it as accidental adding that no signs of foul play or trauma were seen on the body. Contributing factors included cardiovascular disease and environmental exposure, hyperglycemia and acute bronchopneumonia, officials said."

Mr. Knutson had "diabetes and cataracts and was in remission for colon cancer", but his family told the corner, "He had difficulty getting around without his walker but was said to be "sharp as a tack,".

Found by a

"a man four-wheeling in a remote and rocky area near Warner Springs along State Route 79, approximately 47 miles from the casino."

[... a family rep says]

"Her family is overjoyed that she is now home and she will continue to have their love and support,"
 
Google Realtime for Paul and Dianna right now

Wife stranded in desert was prepared to die next to husband
The New York Times, July 11 '15, 6:25 pm edt


RIVERSIDE: Reflective, loving end for stranded couple
TRAPPED COUPLE: A reflective, loving end

BY Brian Rokos, The Press Enterprise,
July 11, 2015 11:45 am

"The final days together for Dianna Bedwell, 68, and her husband, Cecil “Paul” Knutson, 79, were marked by reflection, not remorse,"

[...]

“I told him, ‘Honey we all make mistakes. We all make wrong choices.’ That’s all that was,” Bedwell said Friday, July 10, in her first public remarks on the couple’s ordeal. “We had 29 wonderful years together. If we make it out, fine. If we don’t make it out, fine.”

[...]

“He was sweet, kind, as always,”

[...]

“He just fell asleep,” she said. “I thank God for that. There was no pain, no anger.”

[...]

~ * ~

Thanks for the news, Treelights.

Funeral for man whose casino shortcut turned deadly
by Debbie L. Skylar, Orange County Register,
July 10 '15

"Bedwell Knutson was initially admitted to an intensive care unit at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. She subsequently was transferred to two other hospitals before entering a care facility in the Palm Springs area, according to her attorney, Gloria Allred.

During the funeral service, Bedwell Knutson thanked family and supporters for their efforts during the extensive search for the couple.

“Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your diligence in the search,” she said."


Pictures from the service:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/knutson-671244-bedwell-couple.html

~ * ~

"CBS2’s Tom Wait was in attendance."

he reported

“I was so glad to spend the last moments, days of his life with me. I didn’t want to believe it but he knew – about an hour before he passed. He went so peaceful,” Bedwell said.

She told the mourners that they didn’t really suffer — the weather was mild and they were not attacked by wildlife.

“I prayed for safety, for my husband and myself and no animals came,” she said.
 
Tears. RIP Cecil.

What beautiful words from Dianna and a testament to their unconditional love.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
There is no way to go straight at the turn. The road ends and you can only turn left or right.

Once you get on 79 it does not fork. It looks like they would have had to turn on to Chihuahua Valley road. It's a deliberate right turn and leads to dirt back roads by the scout camp.
But there is no way to know why they did. There was nothing back there if they needed help. And had they gone just a couple miles up they would have found a gas station on 79.

I'm a little late to this discussion but know the area well and will answer very frankly. I own a Jeep Wrangler equipped for offroad jaunts and I've been to the LCIR many times.

For the life of me I can't figure out why they ended up where they were, out in LCIR. There must be a lot more to the story than anyone is saying. Here's why.

First, there is no "fork in the road" at the junction of CA-79 and Camino San Ignacio. It is a very clear right turn from a maintained highway onto a paved but rougher residential road. Even if their nav system said the road passed through, this would have been a very deliberate turn away from the correct route.

Second, after 5 miles or so they pass through an open barrier, with speed bumps, saying they are entering an Indian Reservation, which is private property and by which permission is necessary to pass. It is not manned 24/7, but the signs are clear. They ignored these signs, or were too disoriented to notice them.

Third, after another few miles, many of which are confusing, they would have ended up on a one-lane dirt road that led into the mountains. Surely anyone thinking clearly would have sensed they were getting into trouble.

Fourth, after another few miles, they would have been traveling along roads barely passable for passenger cars, with no lights or buildings or any signs of human habitation. This too would have been a warning sign.

Fifth, the maps published showing their route are incorrect. There are two ways to get to what is called the "Helo Pad" or the intersection with the road to the Boy Scout camp, and they did not take the route further east. That one is barely passable with a Jeep Wrangler. The journalist who claimed to have "verified the route" did not do a very good job.

Sixth, the route from the Helo Pad to the place where they were found is a very sandy and rough route. I am shocked that they even got that far. I drive that in 4WD low. Another warning sign to a thoughtful driver. And, they most definitely strayed from the instructions of that flawed GPS nav system.

The only story that makes sense is this. The Knutsons followed a very flawed GPS nav system, continually ignoring very clear signs and other information that they were headed for trouble, that led them to the Helo Pad (4-way intersection) where four dirt roads meet. They turned left (north), once there, on their way to the Scout camp and 1/2 mile further along they came to the permanently closed gate. They turned around, went back to the Helo Pad, and thought that the eastward direction might give them a way around the gate; also foolish because the road they now drove on was more perilous than any of the previous. They drove another 1/2 mile before sliding down a steep grade and marooning their car. They were only six miles from human habitation, and using their nav system should have been able to plot out that route before heading out. The route would not have been hard to walk because it is not steep. Even at their age it was a walk of six hours, perhaps a full day. Yet, perhaps because of their age, or general fear and disorientation, they were unable to accomplish such.

So, and again I feel a need to be candid here, the Knutsons made a host of bad decisions before getting themselves in their predicament. Yes, the nav system might have told them the road went through to the Scout camp. No one in their right mind would have chosen that route, rather than CA-79 to CA-371, unless he said, "honey, let's take a longer route that looks rough but will give us a little adventure." Either that or he was too elderly to use a nav system properly. And no one in their right mind, after the nav system led them astray, would head off on perilous unknown roads for further short cuts.

I am not blaming the victims, I am trying to just add a little balance and candor to this discussion.
 
Wow, Jay Mills, great first post and thanks for the "insider" info. Do you think other locals feel the same? It sounds like several odd decisions were made on the day.

This was always a strange case and I'm surprised Dianna hasn't released any info yet (not sure if the book rumours are correct but it seems plausible given the silence). I hope we get to hear her side, and hope she's recovering from the ordeal.
 
Thank you Jay Mills, that has to be one of the most impressive 1st posts that I've seen. Welcome, it's nice to have you here. If I remember correctly one of them had to use a walker, and 6 miles being a nice road or not probably wasn't going to happen.
 
Wow, Jay Mills, great first post and thanks for the "insider" info. Do you think other locals feel the same? It sounds like several odd decisions were made on the day.

This was always a strange case and I'm surprised Dianna hasn't released any info yet (not sure if the book rumours are correct but it seems plausible given the silence). I hope we get to hear her side, and hope she's recovering from the ordeal.

Appreciate the compliment. I am not a local -- I live 75 miles away in San Diego -- but I wheel at LCIR a few times a year, since 2011, and feel like I know the area well. I've picnicked at the peak with my wife and taken short hikes as well.

As for Dianna's side of the story, anyone considering a lawsuit will not say anything until they file. Hard to blame them.

Nothing I said in my post will be unique. If the tribe is included in the lawsuit, they might well conclude, or speculate, about what I did.
 
Thank you Jay Mills, that has to be one of the most impressive 1st posts that I've seen. Welcome, it's nice to have you here. If I remember correctly one of them had to use a walker, and 6 miles being a nice road or not probably wasn't going to happen.

Thank you for clarifying that for me, that one needed a walker. Regretfully, I tinged my post with my own action-oriented personality and the fact that I was a Boy Scout once, always prepared, always resourceful, always calculating in my head contingency plans. Drives my wife crazy but that's me I guess.

Also, the distance to the Reservation's homes is 9 miles, not 6. This would have made the Knutsens' task 50% more challenging, had they decided to walk out.
 
Gosh, she almost died, her family was trashed on SM as they searched. It was a miracle of good luck she was found.

A miracle it was. I met the wheeler that found them on a jeep forum, or was in the group that found them. Very very few people head out that far. The Indians know better than heading out on rough roads into rough country; it's only the crazy jeep guys (like me) that do it.
 
It's time to eat a little crow. That good CBS8.com story that FindHG linked includes a Google map that shows the actual last leg of the route taken by the couple, and the location at which they were finally found. That location, which I take to be correct, is off of Camino St. Ignacio Rd., about eight miles from the location I had initially and INCORRECTLY mapped. I've now added the correct route and location of the discovery:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z_XRj_yu3Dto.khuzU1KdCXHY

I've also left the original, incorrect marker on the map, now in green and labeled "Incorrect location: Couple Found, Chihuahua Valley Rd". The incorrect mapping had been based on earlier reports by several MSM sources which cited a 5/24/15 San Diego County Sheriff's Department report of a location off of "the 3100 block of Chihuahua road".

The OC Register had earlier published a story with a correct report of the approximate location of the discovery off of Camino St. Ignacio Rd. I had mapped it as an 'alternative report'. MS member Callyn and argued for the Camino St. Ignacio Rd. location, and I remember replying to her that that was wrong. But Callyn had been right all along.

I should note, finally, that Team Amber had mounted searches in the approximate area in which the car was actually discovered. Their theories of where to look weren't quite right, but were far closer than most of our on-thread hypotheses.

Forager, that map above is not right, part of the route shown is impassable to all but an aggressive 4x4 expert in a jeep. Also, I analyzed the situation myself in a recent post that you can review.
 
I'm a little late to this discussion but know the area well and will answer very frankly. I own a Jeep Wrangler equipped for offroad jaunts and I've been to the LCIR many times.

For the life of me I can't figure out why they ended up where they were, out in LCIR. There must be a lot more to the story than anyone is saying. Here's why.

First, there is no "fork in the road" at the junction of CA-79 and Camino San Ignacio. It is a very clear right turn from a maintained highway onto a paved but rougher residential road. Even if their nav system said the road passed through, this would have been a very deliberate turn away from the correct route.

Second, after 5 miles or so they pass through an open barrier, with speed bumps, saying they are entering an Indian Reservation, which is private property and by which permission is necessary to pass. It is not manned 24/7, but the signs are clear. They ignored these signs, or were too disoriented to notice them.

Third, after another few miles, many of which are confusing, they would have ended up on a one-lane dirt road that led into the mountains. Surely anyone thinking clearly would have sensed they were getting into trouble.

Fourth, after another few miles, they would have been traveling along roads barely passable for passenger cars, with no lights or buildings or any signs of human habitation. This too would have been a warning sign.

Fifth, the maps published showing their route are incorrect. There are two ways to get to what is called the "Helo Pad" or the intersection with the road to the Boy Scout camp, and they did not take the route further east. That one is barely passable with a Jeep Wrangler. The journalist who claimed to have "verified the route" did not do a very good job.

Sixth, the route from the Helo Pad to the place where they were found is a very sandy and rough route. I am shocked that they even got that far. I drive that in 4WD low. Another warning sign to a thoughtful driver. And, they most definitely strayed from the instructions of that flawed GPS nav system.

The only story that makes sense is this. The Knutsons followed a very flawed GPS nav system, continually ignoring very clear signs and other information that they were headed for trouble, that led them to the Helo Pad (4-way intersection) where four dirt roads meet. They turned left (north), once there, on their way to the Scout camp and 1/2 mile further along they came to the permanently closed gate. They turned around, went back to the Helo Pad, and thought that the eastward direction might give them a way around the gate; also foolish because the road they now drove on was more perilous than any of the previous. They drove another 1/2 mile before sliding down a steep grade and marooning their car. They were only six miles from human habitation, and using their nav system should have been able to plot out that route before heading out. The route would not have been hard to walk because it is not steep. Even at their age it was a walk of six hours, perhaps a full day. Yet, perhaps because of their age, or general fear and disorientation, they were unable to accomplish such.

So, and again I feel a need to be candid here, the Knutsons made a host of bad decisions before getting themselves in their predicament. Yes, the nav system might have told them the road went through to the Scout camp. No one in their right mind would have chosen that route, rather than CA-79 to CA-371, unless he said, "honey, let's take a longer route that looks rough but will give us a little adventure." Either that or he was too elderly to use a nav system properly. And no one in their right mind, after the nav system led them astray, would head off on perilous unknown roads for further short cuts.

I am not blaming the victims, I am trying to just add a little balance and candor to this discussion.

Seemed like a miracle the gentleman who found them in that huge off road vehicle chose to look off the roads before she died too. You're right, lots did go wrong. It was reported in MSM that they were trying to take a short cut based on printed maps and possibly tech, IIRC? More candor and focus considering where maps could've led them astray may have helped find them sooner, had it happened at the time, when days counted, in 20/20 hindsight. Welcome and great first post, Thank you for the superb detail and continued interest for balance.
 
Sadly, Cecil didn’t survive. Dianna managed to survive on rainwater and orange peels. Her will to survive was so powerful, she just refused to die. Her story about her near death will be captured in a movie titled One Wrong Turn: The Dianna Bedwell Story. Please review the official website (www.OneWrongTurn.film) for additional details about the upcoming movie. Dianna so kindly answered a few questions about her family and her near death experience.

Please tell me about your family.

There were five children including two sets of fraternal twins. Each a boy and a girl. I am one of the oldest—me and my twin brother. Sylvia didn’t have a twin. She came next. And then the last set of twins were both a boy and a girl. My husband always wanted me to tell people the twins’ names. Its Dianna May, Danny Kaye, Jenny Fay, and Benny Ray. My husband got a kick out of that. We were close; all five of us siblings. My mom and dad were gone a lot because of the cleaning business they were in. We were left alone sometimes when we were in our teens. We were very close knit as siblings.

How did your sisters end up moving in with Gertrude Baniszewski?

Years ago we lived at a house on 3838 New York Street. I knew a girl that lived between the Baniszewskis’ and us. Their name was McGuire. I was friends with the older daughter and the younger daughter was friends with my sisters. So they met the Baniszewski children and their mother through Darlene McGuire. So I had no knowledge of this Baniszewski family until this happened to my sister.

It sounds like he made one wrong turn. I understand that you’re making a movie called “One Wrong Turn” based on this story. Can you tell me about it?


Yes, we got lost and I later found out there were so many search parties out looking, looking and looking for us to no avail. He (Cecil) didn’t find out because he passed away out there. We didn’t have any water or food because we thought we were going home that night. We had no medication or anything. My husband tried to jack up the car for several days to no avail. We just stuck to the car. We had oranges that lasted four days and a Banana pie we were taking to my son’s. But I had strong faith. My husband lived seven days out there. We just survived, rested and prayed. My faith got me through it.
Marc Hoover: Interview with Dianna Bedwell | The Clermont Sun
 

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