Search for at-risk woman paused; GPS review underway
By Zoe Hunt
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BONNY DOON, California (KSBW) — The search for 73-year-old Jeanne Burke, missing since November 18 in the Bonny Doon area, has paused as authorities analyze GPS data to plan the next steps.
Burke was last seen near Smith Grade and Moore Ranch Road, prompting a large-scale search effort over the past week.
Crews have spent six days searching 3,500 miles of Bonny Doon, focusing on the area where Burke was last spotted.
Each search team was equipped with a GPS tracker to plot and track their search areas.
On Monday, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office temporarily paused active searching to analyze the GPS data and identify any gaps or missed areas that could guide future search efforts.
“The teams are taking all that data, and analyzing it, trying to see if there’s any gaps, any missed areas, any areas that would point it in the direction for the next search that’s going to happen,” Ryan Farotte, with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, said.
Mountain bikers familiar with the area have expressed concerns about the challenging conditions.
“I think very dangerous. Between the weather and the temperatures at night, and her age. And, we’re riding a pretty aggressive trails. And if you get lost on some of these, it’s. It would be pretty tough,” one mountain biker, Paul Miller, said.
Another mountain biker, Rodeny Stanton, added, “Could be really rough out there. there’s not a lot of not a lot of help. I mean, it’s pretty much just forest.”
Burke is believed to be wearing a plaid jacket, black pants, and flip-flops, which are not suitable for the cold mountain temperatures.
“We want to find her. That’s our biggest goal,” Farotte said.
Authorities are urging residents in the area to check their cameras and any buildings on their property, such as sheds or outhouses, where Burke might be seeking shelter.
They advise checking these locations again, even if they have been checked once, as Burke could be moving between locations.
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