Missing Day Hiker

Written by Dana Potts

On Saturday afternoon RMRU was called out to assist DSAR with a search for a 71-year-old hiker who went missing Saturday north of Palm Desert at the Thousand Palms Canyon Preserve. Search and Rescue teams from four counties assisted in the effort as temperatures were at a record high 120 degrees. The missing hiker was Alan Hogenauer of Cerritos. Hogenauer was described to us as an avid hiker and world traveler. These reports gave teams hopes that his experience would give him that little edge needed to beat the odds that weekend.

He was not found on Saturday and search went on through the night. On Sunday morning the Riverside Sheriff’s helicopter located Mr. Hogenauer and directed nearby search teams to his location. Unfortunately, he had succumbed to the heat.

RMRU team members present: Kirk Cloyd, Dana Potts, and Gwenda Yates.