80-year-old hiker vanished weeks ago, California rescuers say. The search is still on

An 80-year-old man who vanished Oct. 11 hiking in the Angeles National Forest remains missing, rescuers in California reported.

Gary Robert Nuetzel was “likely hiking alone with a small backpack and possibly carrying hiking poles” in the Chantry Flat area of the forest north of Los Angeles, Sierra Madre Search & Rescue said in an Instagram post.

His vehicle was found parked at Chantry Flat on Oct. 28, searchers said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Rescuers describe Nuetzel as a frequent hiker in the area with an “active lifestyle.”

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department dive team assisted with the search by checking Sturtevant Falls in the area, rescuers said on Instagram.

The Chantry Flat area recently reopened to the public after extensive damage during the 2020 Bobcat Fire, searchers told SFGate.

“The area looks quite radically different,” Rob Klusman, president and an operations leader with Sierra Madre Search & Rescue, told the publication.

Rescuers ask that anyone with information on Nuetzell call 626-285-7171.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 1:48 PM with the headline "80-year-old hiker vanished weeks ago, California rescuers say. The search is still on."