Search and Rescue

Cliff and I have both received calls from Fresno County Sheriff about what we found in the hole and I realized I haven't yet recorded the tale of what we found....

On the way to camp Wednesday afternoon we came across a hiking boot. Then we noticed a belt buckle, boxers, and a jean jacket with a wind breaker. Then dickies and the other hiking boot. We're a 2 hour hike from the closest area a car could possibly drive to so one complete outfit is completely out of place.

Cliff stopped to check the pockets of the jeans and found car keys. Who would leave without their keys?! Then, he checked the other pocket and found a wad of paper (what looks like papers and money from a wallet after it's been in a washing machine). From that wad all we could make out was the center part of american money and an insurance card that was 7 years old.

Everything was within 15-20 yards of each other and because it was almost 4pm and we weren't at camp yet we didn't spend any extra time looking for bones or more pieces. We also failed to remember to take a picture of the items and only took a snapshot of the insurance card in case it didn't survive the week in our packs. We kept the keys and belt buckle to help identify the person, and the card to figure out who they belonged to. I'm thinking now he won't be needing these items anymore and sadly he's probably became kibble and later fertilizer. It dawned on me only after I gave the local PD the items that I should of taken a picture.

I might have thought to take a picture on the way out or perhaps look around a bit more on the way out but we were chased out a day early from the inclement weather.

Fresno County is taking Cliff up on the help he offered to lead a team to where we found the items. They were going to drive in and check out the area but Cliff explained to them it's not something drivable, and how it was covered in 8 feet of snow when we left. They kept thinking we found these things just off of a trail.

The basic story as I understand it was that Enrique went missing in early 2005 March 2006 during a pretty nasty storm. His car was discovered at Black Rock Reservoir (a very difficult hike North from his car to where we found his clothes) and the case was filled with several possible suspicious-who-done-it's. The fact that we are positive there was money in his pocket makes it much more likely that he was lost or unwisely exploring.

There is a chance he washed downstream and won't be recovered ever, and there is a chance that maybe he's just a bit further up the hill. I hope that at the end of this his family has some closure and peace (although they will probably never know WHY). I also now know, that when something seems so out of place that I know I need to take items to possibly identify someone I should also be taking pictures of the area.