About 25 searchers were out again Wednesday looking for the missing hikers who disappeared in Joshua Tree National Park Thursday. The car of Rachel Nguyen, 20, and Joseph 21, was found in the parking lot for this trail last Friday. Park spokesman George Land said the search will continue, despite 100-degree temperatures, high humidity, and thunderstorms, until the end of the week, but the chances of finding the missing couple alive diminishes each day. So far, six searchers have had to be rescued themselves due to heat-related illnesses. Some people are ignoring the notice that the Maze Loop Trail is closed, and are trying to search for Nguyen and Orbeso on their own. Land said not only do these unauthorized searchers mess up the couple’s tracks, but their presence leaves behind smells that confuses the search dogs and causes problems. Some residents are urging rescuers to use drones to search for the missing cople; drones are illegal inside national parks and helicopters and airplanes can’t fly when drones are in the air. Remember, the Maze Loop Trail and trailhead are closed to the public until the search is over. Help the searchers do their job by staying clear of the area.
