The search for a missing U.S. Marine Corps officer in the central Sierra Nevada will continue, albeit on a scaled back mode, according to authorities.
Special to the Pahrump Valley Times The search for the missing U.S. Marine Corps Lt. in Central Sierra Nevada will continue, albeit on a scaled back mode according to authorities. Matthew Kraft, a 24-year-old man from Washington Connecticut, set out on a solo ski and hike trip on Feb. 24 with an itinerary to complete the 195-mile Sierra High Route on March 4 or 5.
Special to the Pahrump Valley Times The search zone for missing Marine Lt. Matthew Kraft, according to officials has been determined to be larger than the state of Rhode Island and consists of the 195-mile Sierra High Route as well as multiple points of potential exits. The search operation has transitioned into a limited, continuing search status until Kraft is found, authorities said.
As stated in a March 16 interagency news release, the massive multi-agency search in the Sierra Nevada has been underway for more than a week to locate Marine Corps 1st Lt. Matthew Kraft, a 24-year-old man from Washington, Connecticut, who set out on a solo ski and hike trip on Feb. 24 with an itinerary to complete the 195-mile Sierra High Route on March 4 or 5.
The Pahrump Valley Times first reported on Kraft’s disappearance on March 13.
On March 4, Kraft’s father contacted the Mono County Sheriff’s Office after not hearing from his son.
As a result, sheriff’s deputies began checking trailheads in the Bridgeport, California area that day.
Bridgeport, the county seat of Mono County, California, is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 395 and State Route 182.
It is more than 340 miles northwest of Pahrump.
The news release went on to state that cell phone forensics initiated by officials in Mono County showed that Kraft’s last phone activity was in the Independence area, in Inyo County, roughly 181 miles from the town of Pahrump.
There is no indication that Kraft had ties to Pahrump or Nye County.
Officials also said that the search zone has been determined to be larger than the state of Rhode Island and consists of the 195-mile Sierra High Route as well as multiple points of potential exits.
Along with Mono and Inyo County authorities, more than a half-dozen additional agencies, including officials from the Marine Corps, are assisting in the search.
Anyone who may have been in the search area on or around Feb. 23 is urged to call 559-565-4286 if they think they may have seen Kraft.