28/08/2024
America’s National Parks are as inspiring as they are humbling. Their vast landscapes provide a place for adventure and exploration, but solitude can turn deadly if you’re not prepared. At 3.4 million acres, Death Valley is the most sprawling and desolate park in the Lower 48. Reaching temperatures of 134 degrees, much of its landscape is inhabitable and unforgiving. In 1996, four German tourists entered the park completely unprepared for the kind of topography and environment they’d encounter. When they missed their return flight home, the four were reported missing, seemingly without a trace. Three months later, their rented minivan would be found two miles down Anvil Canyon, with no clue as to where the four had gone. Thirteen years later, dedicated search and rescue volunteer Tom Mahood refused to give up on this decade-long cold case and set out on his own to uncover the truth of what happened to the “Death Valley Germans.” Was it aliens? A government coverup? Or does Mother Nature simply take no prisoners? You’ll have to tune in to find out. Happy Haunting!
1-6: photos from Elise’s trip to Death Valley, including their green van Bo**er, the general store in Ballarat, Charles Manson’s supposed truck and the famous salt flats.
7. Egbert Rimkus and his son Georg.
8. Cornelia Meyer and her son Max
9+10 The Plymouth mini van found in the wash in Anvil Canyon
11. Tom Mahood looking for the missing foursome.
12. Searchers scouring the bluff where bones were found.
13. Looking at the bluff from the valley floor.
14. Tom’s photo showcasing the vastness of the area.
15. Tom’s entire search area.
