An Arizona congressional aide was found dead and his wife rescued after the pair went missing on a camping trip to Death Valley National Park in California, officials said.
Alexander Lofgren, a 32-year-old an aide to Arizona Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, and his wife, Emily Henkel, 27, became stranded when their Subaru got two flat tires in the park in the Mojave Desert, according to the Inyo Creek Sheriff’s Office.
When the couple hadn’t returned from their camping trip Tuesday, they were reported missing.
Authorities searched along Lofgren’s back-country itinerary route in addition to tourist attractions and hotels.
Park staffers found the couple’s missing Subaru on Wednesday along with a note that read, “Two flat tires, headed to Mormon Point, have three days’ worth of water.”
The note was “a crucial tip in directing search efforts” and led them to eventually spot the pair from the air on a steep ledge near Willow Creek, authorities said.
But crews were unable to hoist them up and couldn’t reach the remote area until around 11:30 a.m. Friday, authorities said.
By that time, Lofgren had already passed away. His wife was flown to Lemoore Naval Air Station for medical treatment.
The cause of Lofgren’s death is under investigation.
“This has been a tremendously difficult operation in a very unforgiving geographic area of Inyo County, I sincerely hope for healing and recovery for all involved,” Sheriff Jeff Hollowell said in the statement.
Grijalvas said Lofgren was an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and worked in his district office.
“Words cannot begin to describe how heartbroken I am over the death of Alex Lofgren,” Grijalvas wrote on Twitter.
“Alex will forever be a part of our family, and my heart is with his family, his loving partner Emily, and his colleagues who mourn him today.”
Inyo County Search and Rescue team members were able to access the remote and steep ledge where missing campers Alexander Lofgren and Emily Henkel were located yesterday. Inyo County Sheriff's OfficeWith Post wires
