The search for a Williamsburg woman missing in California’s Mojave Desert is being hampered by dangerously high heat and rugged terrain, law enforcement officials said.
A search June 25 for Susan Schmierer, 65, was called off after ground temperatures became too hot for rescue dogs and the weather and terrain disabled two off-road rescue vehicles, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department.
Schmierer and her husband, William, 64, left Williamsburg on May 27 on a cross-country road trip. They were last seen June 2 near Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark, a 250-foot-tall extinct volcano about 100 miles from Palm Springs.
On June 13, authorities found the Schmierers’ vehicle at a trailhead near the crater. The vehicle had been parked there for about 10 days and appeared to be abandoned, the sheriff’s department said.
Three days later, deputies discovered William Schmierer’s body but found no signs of his wife. Foul play is not suspected in William Schmierer’s death, the sheriff’s department said.
On June 25, search and rescue personnel combed the area until high heat and unsafe conditions forced them to abandon the operation. According to the sheriff’s department, ground temperatures were 130 degrees at 10:30 a.m., which is too hot for search dogs.
The search was called off after ground temperatures reached 165 degrees at 2 p.m.
The area around Amboy Crater is covered in dark lava rock, which can significantly increase ground temperatures. Air temperatures during the search reached 117 degrees, the sheriff’s department said.
The couple was last seen alive on surveillance footage taken at 11:13 a.m. June 2 at the Amboy Crater visitor center, the sheriff’s department said. The video has not been released.
Searchers were aided by Chesapeake-based DroneUp, which provided its services for free to the Schmierer family. Seventy-eight analysts associated with The Hampton Roads company reviewed the captured video and photos and identified areas to be searched, the sheriff’s department said.
The sheriff’s office will conduct another search for Susan Schmierer on July 28, sheriff’s department spokeswoman Jodi Miller told the Los Angeles Times.
There have been other deaths at Amboy Crater, according to the Times. Last August, a husband and wife were found dead after going hiking in 113-degree heat.
Managing Editor Bryan DeVasher can be reached at [email protected]
