Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Woman Found in Sequoia Wilderness After Spelling S-O-S With Rocks
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
October 30, 2019

Share

A woman who vanished on a visit to Sequoia National Park was spotted by a low-flying aircraft rescue crew after she spelled S-O-S with rocks in a forest clearing, authorities said Tuesday.
Mary Joanna Gomez of Jackson, Mississippi, was cold, thirsty and hungry but otherwise in good health when she was found Monday after three days in the  wilderness, the National Park Service said.

“I am a little cut and bruised and regaining my strength, but I’m very fortunate to be in as good a condition as I am. My priority now is spending time with my family.” — Mary Joanna Gomez 
Gomez, 56, released a statement thanking rescuers.
“I am a little cut and bruised and regaining my strength, but I’m very fortunate to be in as good a condition as I am,” the statement said. “My priority now is spending time with my family.”
Crew members aboard a California Air National Guard C-130 aircraft had searched for hours from a high altitude using infrared technology — with no luck.
“We elected to switch to an old school method, and that’s with eyeballs,” Lt. Col. David Weidman said.
After making multiple passes at around 1,000 feet, Weidman’s co-pilot spotted the S-O-S spelled out in a rock formation on the ground at least 6 feet by 18 feet across, Weidman said.
Seconds later, they saw Gomez.

Gomez Made It Easy for Rescuers to Spot Her

“We were thrilled,” Weidman said.
The aircraft crew sent coordinates to officials on the ground, who eventually sent a helicopter crew in to pluck Gomez out of the woods. In the meantime, Weidman and his crew circled the area.
“I wanted her to know that we’re here and we’re not leaving until she’s safe,” Weidman said.

“She was trying to see as much as she could at the end of her day, and in trying to rush and see the sunset, she got a little disoriented.” Park Service spokeswoman Sintia Kawasaki-Yee
Gomez was found off-trail about 3½ miles across rocky terrain from where her car was discovered over the weekend, Park Service spokeswoman Sintia Kawasaki-Yee said.
“She was trying to see as much as she could at the end of her day, and in trying to rush and see the sunset, she got a little disoriented,” Kawasaki-Yee said.
Gomez made it easy for rescuers to spot her by finding a clearing in the trees and then staying put, she said.
“She’s alive today because she did that,” Weidman agreed. “We don’t see this too often at all, unfortunately. Usually lost hikers keep hiking.”
Gomez, who’s a traveling nurse based in San Francisco, had been visiting nearby Kings Canyon National Park and told her family on Thursday that she intended to visit Sequoia. She was reported missing on Friday by her family after not showing up for a work shift.
“The outcome was definitely what we prayed for,” her daughter, Emily Gomez, said in a statement.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

DON'T MISS

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

DON'T MISS

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

DON'T MISS

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

DON'T MISS

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

DON'T MISS

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

UP NEXT

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

UP NEXT

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

UP NEXT

Beware of Scammers Saying You Won the Publishers Clearing House Drawing

UP NEXT

Abundance Meets Resistance: Are CA Dems Finally Ready to Go All In on Building Housing?

UP NEXT

Less Than Half of Californians Think K-12 Schools Are on the Right Track: Poll

UP NEXT

On Major Economic Decisions, Trump Blinks, and Then Blinks Again

UP NEXT

Candi Is the Dandy to Add a Little Sweetness to Your Life

UP NEXT

How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports

UP NEXT

Don’t Miss Out! Tower District’s Porchfest Festival Is Saturday

UP NEXT

Fresno Stabbing Leaves Son Dead, Father Charged With Murder

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

1 hour ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

1 hour ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

1 hour ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

1 hour ago

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

2 hours ago

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

2 hours ago

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

2 hours ago

US Universities Help Foreign Students Weather Trump Deportations

2 hours ago

Alphabet Says Waymo May Offer Robotaxis for Personal Ownership in Future

2 hours ago

US Pharma Tariffs Would Raise US Drug Costs by $51 Billion Annually, Report Finds

2 hours ago

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. Congress plan to introduce a sweeping $150 billion defense package that will give an in...

40 minutes ago

A Lockheed Martin Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor is seen during the third annual "Made in America Product Showcase" on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 15, 2019. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
40 minutes ago

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

A general view shows container terminal in Hong Kong, China, April 23, 2025. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo)
48 minutes ago

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth Group chief executive Brian Thompson, appears in Manhattan Supreme Court on New York state murder and terrorism charges in New York City, U.S., February 21, 2025. (Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)
54 minutes ago

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a pass against Central Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP File)
1 hour ago

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

1 hour ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

1 hour ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP File)
1 hour ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

A Fresno man was arrested in Kerman on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, after allegedly driving recklessly, resisting arrest, and showing signs of being under the influence, police said. (Kerman PD)
2 hours ago

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend