Latest news with #Margaret'Elaine'McKinley
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Search for missing San Mateo County hiker continues
(KRON) — The search for an elderly hiker with dementia who vanished in a mid-Peninsula wilderness area continued over the weekend. Margaret 'Elaine' McKinley, 79, was last seen on May 1 in the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. This weekend's search involved over 100 specially trained search and rescue volunteers who canvassed the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve and surrounding areas. Search efforts focused around the area where McKinley was first reported missing. Search teams were deployed on foot and horseback with drones and specialized K9s also involved. Officials described the terrain as 'extremely dense and challenging,' with heavily brushed areas and poison oak as high as 15 feet. 'Unfortunately, despite these extensive and exhaustive efforts, no new information was gathered,' SMCSO said. San Jose fire captain's drug thefts left patients in pain: DA Since McKinley vanished 18 days ago, SMCSO and partner agencies have deployed over 600 specialized search and rescue volunteers to look for her. 'The Sheriff's Office extends its sincere appreciation to the incredible volunteers from across the region for their unwavering and selfless commitment to the search for Elaine,' officials said. Despite McKinley having been missing for more than two weeks now, officials with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office maintain the search is still a rescue operation, and not a recovery. A recovery, according to officials, 'begins when there is evidence to support such a mission.' 'At this point, our search teams have not found evidence to support moving to a recovery operation, and our continuous search phase continues,' officials told KRON4. Sheriff's office officials said the current Limited Continuous Search phase will continue for the time being, but with scaled back resources. Anyone with information about McKinley's whereabouts is asked to contact the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. Last week, in a separate incident. a camper who had been missing for three weeks in the Fresno County wilderness was 'miraculously' found alive. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
04-05-2025
- Miami Herald
79-year-old woman vanishes on family hike, California cops say. Search continues
A search continues for a 79-year-old woman with dementia who vanished on a family hike in the San Francisco Bay Area, California sheriff's officials reported. Margaret 'Elaine' McKinley of Redwood City became separated from her family in the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve on Thursday, May 1, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. McKinley was last seen about noon walking on the Lost Trail while wearing a red jacket and black pants, sheriff's officials said. Searchers looked for her with an airplane, drones, K-9s, horses, bicycles and more, deputies said. On Saturday, more than 150 searchers combed the 1,400-acre preserve using a grid system, the office said in a later news release. 'Unfortunately, no sightings were reported,' the sheriff's office said. Officials also asked people living near the preserve to check their security cameras and report any sightings to an online form or by calling 911. San Mateo County is about a 35-mile drive south from San Francisco.
San Francisco Chronicle
03-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Search expands for 79-year-old hiker with dementia missing in San Mateo County
Authorities expanded their search Saturday for a 79-year-old hiker with dementia missing in San Mateo County since Thursday. Margaret 'Elaine' McKinley of Redwood City became separated from her family around noon Thursday while hiking at the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve in Portola Valley, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. McKinley is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds, and has gray hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a red jacket, black pants and tan boots and carrying a dark backpack while walking along the Lost Trail. More than 100 people are helping in the search, including specialized personnel as well as volunteers from Alameda, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Searchers have deployed extensive resources, including a sheriff's office airplane, drones, K-9s, horses and bicycles, the agency said. 'We remain very hopeful that we will locate Elaine so she can be reunited with her loved ones,' said Sheriff Christina Corpus. 'We extend our appreciation to the many specially trained volunteers who have answered the call to assist with the search.'
