Four German tourists missing in Death Valley- found thirteen years later.

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Dan57

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Apr 8, 2012
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First of all, and just to get it out of the way: this isn't a breaking story. The Germans went missing in 1996, and were found in 2009. (Sorry if the title is misleading.) Still, I definitely think this is worth posting here. It's probably one of the coolest things I've ever read, and right up your guys' alley.

The story is told in detail, with lots of pictures, and across multiple pages, by the man who took it upon himself to solve the 13 year old mystery. It's incredibly fascinating. I highly recommend reading the entire thing, or skimming it at the very least... especially if you have any risk of finding yourself in a similar situation. There are lessons to be learned here. They could save your life.

http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/
 
I saw that last year...very interesting. And his hypothesis shows how a logical sequence of events can lead to tragedy. If his hypothesis is true, I can completely understand why they did what they did.

I can only imagine how devastated they must have felt to crest that rise expecting to see civilization a short distance away, only to find more empty desert as far as they could see.

If I had plenty of vacation time, I'd be strongly tempted to visit the area myself. I like the sense of solitude found in such places, and have enjoyed trips to similar places in the great basin of NV/UT. Of course, I'd do it in the winter...
 
Years ago, a couple left their 4WD vehicle (cracked oil pan) to head for the spring he mentions, not realizing they were seeing green thirty+ miles away. They left a note.

The vehicle was found easily by a plane from the Marine base at Barstow. The sun at a low angle in the morning glints off the windows.

It took longer to find their bodies. If they had stayed with their vehicle there was a good chance they would have survived.
 
thx for the link that was a great storry and some fine work by all involved and shows how easy it is for the crap too hit the fan in the wilds!!
 
Thanks for posting this, Dan57. This certainly is a heartbreaking story; I found myself rushing to reach the end, hoping for some kind of positive outcome (even though I knew it wasn't likely). Amazing how a few bad or uninformed decisions can quickly snowball into a survival situation. I wonder at what point they first realized it had become a survival situation for them, and at what point they realized how their journey would end?
 
Wow, I just spent the last few hours engulfed in this story. When I first read the title, I thought they'd got lost and had been surviving in DV for 13 years. Then when I read this thread, I realized what kind of story it was.

I got loads of respect for anyone who went out there searching, but especially for Tom due to all the repeated hikes in to search. The info about the Sheriffs office withholding info doesn't surprise me. They want the gold star and all the publicity for themselves. I do wonder why he never filed a Freedom of Information case with the SD to get the true info on where they found the kids stuff.

By the way, read the other stories on his site. Some good stuff!
 
Very tragic tale, and one of way too many. Wander off the blacktop at your own peril. If you really don't know what you're doing, and don't have the proper gear and/or guideance, best to stay with the other tourists in the well defined park areas.

And you gotta respect the desert. Temps 107 - 120+??? Dude, that is smoking a$$ hot. The kinda heat that puts you into heat stroke, dehydration, etc. in short order. Look at those landscapes...barren, hostile, unforgiving. Without a good supply of water and other essentials, you're going to be in a bad way very, very quickly. As bad as it is to know you may have done something stupid to yourself, I can only imagine how heart wrenching it would be to have children with you. And mile after mile of walking, and it getting worse, and worse, and worse, with no hope in sight...terrible to think about, just terrible.

Hopefully they are at peace in a better place.

BOSS
 
Back then (and probably today) there were monster warning signs where you left the paved road sand entered "gravel roads." They were, then, in English only.

Most maps also had boxed warnings about roughness of these "gravel roads" in desert areas and the need to carry water. (English only last time I was there.)
 
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Note to self; avoid the desert, but not dessert... ;)


Thanks for posting this story.
 
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I love how the sheriff's office had a location on the possible bone of a child, and hid that fact from the people actually going out and risking death to do more searching to find the kids bones.
 
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