Bring Max Watson Home
Donation protected
Before December 15th, Max had taken a couple of short multi-day hiking trips into the Sierra De La Laguna mountain range in Southern Baja. On one of those trips, he had hitchhiked back from the trailhead and got a ride from a rancher who lives up near the trail.
On December 15th, Max sent a text message to his Dad and brother letting them know that he would be back out hiking in the Sierra De La Laguna mountains to climb Mount Picacho, and would return on the 21st of December. However, he was last seen on December 18th by the rancher who had picked him up on a prior trip. In that encounter, he was seen parking his van at the rancher's property with a follow vehicle driven by a couple (unknown), and then got into the car with the couple and drove off. The rancher's wife asked Max where he was going and jokingly asked how he was surviving with so few supplies and if he was going to be eating bugs up there. Max laughed and confirmed he was going back up. We know he does not have a large backpack, a tent, or sleeping bag. We aren't convinced he took much water or food. Max left his water bottle, phone, and wallet in his van. He had shared with me (his girlfriend) on previous trips that he had been "roughing it" and sleeping on the ground.
We have had search parties and bomberos (firefighters) coming in from all sides of the mountain range since the 27th. All of the rancheros and guides in that area are aware of the situation and actively looking. We have posted flyers at trailheads. There are also other recreational hikers up there. No one so far claims to have seen Max at all. On the 30th we took a Helicopter up with his brother and his brother saw a canyon that seemed compelling based off of its geographic proximity to the trailhead and due to the majority of the mountain range being too extreme for much off-trail camping. The next day, the 31st, a crew of SAR with scent dogs hiked up the trail and got a scent at the trail split towards that canyon. They had a scent for awhile but eventually it faded. The crew of 14 scoped the entire canyon until they met the end of it.
From there we have done another search with a Helicopter and just completed a separate 10 person (bomberos los cabos // with search dogs) party from the east side of the range. As we get more assets on the ground and in the air, the complexity of our search continues on.
Hood River News
On December 15th, Max sent a text message to his Dad and brother letting them know that he would be back out hiking in the Sierra De La Laguna mountains to climb Mount Picacho, and would return on the 21st of December. However, he was last seen on December 18th by the rancher who had picked him up on a prior trip. In that encounter, he was seen parking his van at the rancher's property with a follow vehicle driven by a couple (unknown), and then got into the car with the couple and drove off. The rancher's wife asked Max where he was going and jokingly asked how he was surviving with so few supplies and if he was going to be eating bugs up there. Max laughed and confirmed he was going back up. We know he does not have a large backpack, a tent, or sleeping bag. We aren't convinced he took much water or food. Max left his water bottle, phone, and wallet in his van. He had shared with me (his girlfriend) on previous trips that he had been "roughing it" and sleeping on the ground.
We have had search parties and bomberos (firefighters) coming in from all sides of the mountain range since the 27th. All of the rancheros and guides in that area are aware of the situation and actively looking. We have posted flyers at trailheads. There are also other recreational hikers up there. No one so far claims to have seen Max at all. On the 30th we took a Helicopter up with his brother and his brother saw a canyon that seemed compelling based off of its geographic proximity to the trailhead and due to the majority of the mountain range being too extreme for much off-trail camping. The next day, the 31st, a crew of SAR with scent dogs hiked up the trail and got a scent at the trail split towards that canyon. They had a scent for awhile but eventually it faded. The crew of 14 scoped the entire canyon until they met the end of it.
From there we have done another search with a Helicopter and just completed a separate 10 person (bomberos los cabos // with search dogs) party from the east side of the range. As we get more assets on the ground and in the air, the complexity of our search continues on.
Hood River News
Organizer
Wiley Watson
Organizer