Found Deceased CA - Jie Song & Yinan Wang, 31, Sequoia National Park, 6 Aug 2017

[Gardener1850]

SAN DIEGO, CA – A San Diego couple has been reported missing in Central California after they never returned last week from a trip to Sequoia National Park, and in a bizarre twist, evidence has led authorities to search for the couple in the same area where two exchange students' bodies are still stuck in a car that crashed into a river in late July.

The couple was last seen driving a white 2012 Ford Focus with California license plate 6XMM431, Botti said. Fresno County sheriff's deputies and park rangers at Sequoia National Park both took missing persons reports for Wang and Song on Friday.
But in a bizarre twist, the missing persons report didn't come as a total surprise to sheriff's deputies, Botti said. That's because on Aug. 8, a search and rescue deputy discovered the Focus' detached license plate while watching news footage from the site where a different car is still stuck in the King River after crashing there on July 26.

"The deputy knew (the license plate) did not belong to the red car in the river, which is presumed to have been carrying a man and woman from Thailand who are currently enrolled as exchange students at the University of South Florida," Botti said.

https://patch.com/california/san-diego/san-diego-couple-reported-missing-central-california

Oh, no.

 

[Gardener1850]

“The Search and Rescue member performed a records check on the plate to see if the vehicle had been reported missing, stolen or involved in an accident. Results showed it belonged to a 2012 Ford Focus and no police reports had been filed in relation to the car.”

The sheriff’s office passed along its information about the license plate to the California Highway Patrol, but its significance wasn’t realized until three days later when Wang and Song were reported missing.


After putting together those pieces of information, the sheriff’s office and CHP launched an aerial search for the San Diego couple on Saturday “to see if there are any signs of a white car” in the canyon area where the red car is still stuck in the river.

“Deputies and officers found some vehicle parts in the water about 40 yards upstream from the red car,” Botti said. “At this point, we are unable to determine if the parts belong to the white Ford Focus. Members of Search and Rescue will have to retrieve the parts before drawing any conclusions. No additional bodies have been found in the water. National Parks Service rangers continue to check their parks for Wang and Song.”
Botti said the sheriff’s office is now conducting a “parallel investigation involving the Ford Focus” as they continue to plan a way to retrieve the red car and the bodies that are assumed to be inside.

http://timesofsandiego.com/crime/20...license-plate-found-in-sequoia-national-park/

 

[whitelilac]

What on earth? and how does a license plate "detach" ? Could it have been removed and thrown away by someone? This really doesn't look good

 

[whitelilac]

The Thai students' accident in the red car happened on July 26. Between then and August 6, the guard rail must have been secured in the spot where the red car went over. It would have been obvious then if Wang and Song went over in the same spot. Even so, other curves I expect would also have guardrails which would indicate another car going over, especially since authorities have been searching elsewhere. I don't know...very strange.

 

[Gardener1850]

Could they have gone off the road into the river like these two Thai students probably did? I hope not. They too were headed for Kings Canyon. The river is treacherous, so the car hasn't been recovered yet.

http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/ne...thai-students-not-confirmed-victims/783733886

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-car-crash-thai-students-20170808-story.html

http://www.stltoday.com/news/car-st...cle_f2e0a925-7299-5588-99c5-1fec2f5f763e.html

Wow, Lilibet. Pretty chilling that you suggested this as a possibility days ago and now we know they found their license plate in the river. Sounds like such a dangerous road to drive.

 

[meanmaryjean]

What the actual heck?

 

[Henry2326]

Wow, Lilibet. Pretty chilling that you suggested this as a possibility days ago and now we know they found their license plate in the river. Sounds like such a dangerous road to drive.

Lilibet rocks...great thinking.[emoji30] although sad to see it possibly come true.

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[whitelilac]

I just saw this...another death (Japanese hiker) in the Kings River, found on July 25.
http://ktla.com/2017/07/25/dead-bod...found-in-river-at-kings-canyon-national-park/

 

[whitelilac]

This High Sierra Ranger Station site (missing people, SAR updates) indicates :Missing Persons: Jie Song and Yinan Wang 'Resolved"

see the comment....Vehicle accident outside the park? 'Accordingly, the search inside of the parks has been discontinued at this time."
? but the license plate was found near the location of the other accident in the park?

http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16569

 

[whitelilac]

August 14, 2017 12:21 PM
Spotters in a helicopter have found a large white object submerged in the turbulent Kings River east of Fresno that may be the car of two tourists missing for more than a week, the California Highway Patrol said Monday.

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team members in the CHP’s helicopter “observed a large white object below the water line,” a CHP news release states. The spotters could not see if any occupants were in the white object or see a license plate.

The large white object in the water is near another car that went over the edge last month and is still visible in the river. That car is believed to contain the bodies of two tourists from Thailand who have been reported missing.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article167121682.html#storylink=cpy
​

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article167121682.html

 

[JerseyGirl]

While watching a TV news clip on the missing Thai couple, a Fresno County search-and-rescue team member spotted a California license plate and car parts in some brush and made a note of its number — 6XMM431. Days later, the plate was linked to a missing husband and wife from San Diego.

The discovery has triggered a second, parallel investigation in the same area where University of South Florida exchange students Bhakapon Chairatanathongporn, 28, and Thiwadee Saengsuriyarit, 24, are believed to have perished in their red sedan. The wrecked vehicle was spotted July 26 in rapids at the bottom of a treacherous gorge some 500 feet below Highway 180.

The team member checked records on the license plate, but that didn’t turn up any reports of a missing or stolen vehicle or a crash. But team members submitted the license plate along with some other car parts found in the area — about 40 yards upstream from the Thai couple’s vehicle — to the California Highway Patrol so it could create a report.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kings-river-missing-couple-car-20170814-story.html

 

[AffirmationChick]

August 14, 2017 12:21 PM
Spotters in a helicopter have found a large white object submerged in the turbulent Kings River east of Fresno that may be the car of two tourists missing for more than a week, the California Highway Patrol said Monday.

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team members in the CHP’s helicopter “observed a large white object below the water line,” a CHP news release states. The spotters could not see if any occupants were in the white object or see a license plate.

The large white object in the water is near another car that went over the edge last month and is still visible in the river. That car is believed to contain the bodies of two tourists from Thailand who have been reported missing.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article167121682.html#storylink=cpy
​

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article167121682.html

Wow, wow, wow. I just can't believe they really are in the same spot as this other couple. I hoped for better but deep down know those roads and how scary they can be. Such a shame


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[Vail]

This is so chilling. I can't believe the red car is still there with the bodies believed to be in it. What the f?

 

[Gardener1850]

This article shows a video of driving the roads to the area where the red car is located: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article166594022.html

The video shows some car parts and pans the canyon a little. It gives a better idea than the still photos of just how deep this canyon is and why recovery is difficult.

 

[Lilibet]

Wow, Lilibet. Pretty chilling that you suggested this as a possibility days ago and now we know they found their license plate in the river. Sounds like such a dangerous road to drive.

Oh man. I just now checked in and saw the bad news. Heartbreaking. Reading further, I see that the white car isn't far from the red car. I'm really sorry that my suggestion proved true. When I first happened upon this thread I thought it was about the Thai couple...hence my thinking of the possibility when I realized this other couple was traveling in the same area. Looking at that video of driving the road, it's clear that there are treacherous stretches without guard rails or with only large rocks along the edge. It could be hard to tell if someone went off the road. What a tragedy.

 

[Lilibet]

I'm going to go out on a limb and post this about Yinan Wang. I'm sure enough that this is the right person. An accomplished scientist. Such a loss.

http://www.biomaterwang.com/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YuwlBDgAAAAJ&hl=en

This FB matches. Recently married to a woman named Song (western first name).
https://www.facebook.com/yinan.wang0119

 

[whitelilac]

I wonder where the the second couple went off the road. Was it exactly the same spot? There are a lot of turn outs on this road to stop to allow cars behind you to pass, or to look at the view, and which are not asphalt....sandy or gravel. I remember that some of them were a bit scary, you really had to slow down. Could the car have slipped off the edge of one of these?
Such a senseless tragedy for both young couples....

 

[Yvettea]

Could the car had been hit from behind? Could explain the license plate coming off the white car.

 

[Beth11311]

Are the bodies left in the cars because it's too dangerous to recover them? So sad...

Also - it looks like more than just a license plate, appears to be a bumper or some piece of the car the plate was attached to.

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[Gardener1850]

[video=youtube;oeTbMYiuwl8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeTbMYiuwl8[/video]

This Thai PBS news video posted on Aug 8 has some different angles of the red car crash and points out the curve on Google Earth stills. Does anyone speak enough Thai to figure out when this news cast was broadcast? I'm trying to figure out if the video was shot after the 6th.