As rescue teams head back into the field for a sixth day of search efforts, so far there has been no positive sign of the missing mountaineer lost in the Sierra above Bishop.

Rescue teams from across the state have joined the effort to find 44 year old San Diego resident Ric DeVan. The missing climber was last seen on July third in the Bishop area. DeVan set out on an overnight trip from Bishop Pass toward Mt. Goode on the third of July. He was supposed to meet his wife and daughter at Treasure Lakes on the Fourth but did not arrive.

CHP and Forest Service helicopters have flown searchers to the Sierra crest between Mt. Johnson and Mt. Goode to search ridges, gullies, and chutes for any sign of DeVan. Teams have climbed technical ridges, searched boulder fields and the snowfields at the bases of the ridges, along with the vast terrain in between, but so far have not found a positive sign of the missing mountaineer.

The last sure sign of DeVans passage was his signature in the summit register on the 13,000 foot peak of Mt. Goode. In that summit register, Devan indicated that he would next traverse to neighboring Mt. Johnson. There is a difficult ridge between Mt. Goode and Mt. Johnson. Local search teams who traversed the ridge toward Mt. Johnson describe the terrain as treacherous and extremely unstable.

In what has become a major multi agency search effort, teams from Inyo County, Mono County, San Bernardino, China Lake, Kern County, Tulare County, Montrose, Seirra Madre, LA County, and Yosemite Search and Rescue have joined the effort. Inyo Sheriff Corporal Terry Waterbury says that every resource we have is being utilized.

Wednesday was the fifth day that searchers worked over the terrain in the Mt. Goode area looking for signs of the missing man. Teams either walked into the search area or were flown in by helicopter to cover the vast and complicated terrain.

Teams are being flown back into the field again today. Inyo Sheriff Officials say that the search will likely continue through at least Friday night, which would be seven days after DeVan was reported missing.

 The Inyo Sheriffs Department is looking for people who may have seen the missing man hiking on Thursday the third, and Friday the Fourth in the Bishop Pass area. DeVan is said to have been wearing a yellow shirt with black side panels, tan pants, light colored back pack, gray jacket with black trim, a beige or green ball cap, and an orange, gold, and purple National Geographic bandanna. DeVan also had a Khaki one person tent.

If you were hiking near Bishop Pass on Friday the Fourth of July, and you saw someone who fits this description call the Inyo Sheriffs Department at 873-7887 or 878- 0383.

Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading