A man’s body was found at Amboy Crater Saturday, and Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a second body. According to Sheriff reports, a ranger with the Bureau of Land Management called deputies June 13 about an abandoned vehicle that had been in the Amboy Crater parking lot for at least 10 days. William Schmeirer, 64, and Susan Schmeirer, 65, who owned the car, had not been heard from since June 3. The Schmeirers had left their home in Williamsburg, Virginia on May 27 and were supposed to have checked into a hotel in Palm Springs for a week beginning June 2, but the couple’s son didn’t know which hotel. Deputies made an extensive aerial search of the area on June 13 but did not find the missing couple. On Saturday, June 16, deputies, a Sheriff’s helicopter, search dog, and search and rescue volunteers went back to Amboy Crater about 4:30 a.m. to follow up and search for the couple and found the remains of a man who matched the description of William Schmeirer, although the coroner has not yet confirmed the body’s identity. The cause of death is still pending. Searchers plan to return to Amboy Crater to continue the search for his wife.
This is the third time since last August that hikers have died at Amboy Crater. On August 12, Kathy Barber, 58, and Gen Miake, 60, of Yorba Linda, died just two hours after calling for help and saying they were out of water while hiking at the crater.
And on May 30, a hiker found another man’s body about one-half mile from the end of the trail. The Sheriff’s Department identified him Wednesday morning as Duane Gerken, 61, of Sherman Oaks. A cause of death is still pending, but there is no indication of foul play.
