My goodness, what is happening around here? Just when we find the body of Naomi, a couple goes missing. With the same absence of news coverage, the silence is as vast as the desert that swallowed these two up. It doesn’t take 48 hours for people to know their loved ones are in trouble. Whoever created that rule up is insane. Sure, in New York City, why not? 48 hours is just fine. In the desert, a 48 hour wait leads to finding a girl buried in a shallow mine.
When VST and I moved our rig, I can tell you this. Our daughter knew where we’d been, where we were and where we were headed. She checked in often, and sometimes, I think she may have installed a tracking device. Nothing would make her dad smile more than getting a call as we drove mile after mile. No, if we were on the roll, family knew our plans. For the second time in a month, law enforcement has disregarded a family’s terror when a member has gone missing. That’s only the two in our area. Something’s got to change.
Here in the desert, night has a whole new meaning. If you are scared of the dark, this isn’t the place for you. The desert night is so black. You can scream, holler, and cry and the only things that will hear you are the mustangs and rattlesnakes. I can drive five minutes from my house and be in vast nothingness.
Ronnie and Bev Barker are on an RV trip on roads that VST and I traveled many, many times. I assure you, this isn’t a trek for the unexperienced or faint of heart. There are hundreds of miles with NOTHING. No services of any kind between Hawthorne, Nevada and Tonopah, Nevada. That’s a long, long stretch of Highway 95. If you’ve driven it, you know. Highway 6. Highway 95. Plenty of places to disappear.
Ron and Bev are good people. Again, I don’t know them, but, their kids said they are members of their local Search and Rescue Squad. That speaks volume to their abilities and character. Not people that just decide to blow off plans to visit friends on a Tuesday afternoon.
These two stopped in Stagecoach, Nevada on Highway 50, March 27th. That’s the last credit card purchase they made. Their rig has a 55 gallon tank. At 6 – 7 miles per gallon, they could have travelled 330 – 385 miles. Their phone last pinged in Coaldale, Nevada. It’s been a week now. They were on their way to see friends in Arizona last week, Tuesday. Now, they’re gone. Their last cell phone Again, desolation doesn’t begin to describe these places. Dangerous things can happen. Rattlesnakes are pissy when they wake up in the spring. A flat tire could lead to many other problems. One things for sure, this couple had a brand new rig and car, cell phones and computers. Their RVing life was dialed in and now, they’re GONE.
Around here, Search and Rescue requires aircraft. There are just too few roads that go anyway. Most roads off the main highways are dirt. Rutted and pot-holed. A 385 mile nightmare for their family. Where are they. It’s over a week now. The days are getting very warm, the nights are still extremely cold. Ron and Bev are in trouble.
As awareness for the missing around here is rising, the false sense of security is gone. A local Ammunition store is offering a Self Defense class on April 25th at our brand new community center. There’s room for 100, and those seats were gone in minutes. I hope they offer a second class, because I certainly want to attend.
In some ways, Covid did teach us the 6′ rule. That’s a space to remember for self defense. Either you want to be two arms lengths from anyone, or you want to be hugging your attacker and fighting like heck. The middle range is the danger zone where you can get smacked. Just as Chris Rock.
It will take some time for things to calm down around here. If Ronnie and Bev had to go missing, this was the best time ever. The cavalry is coming. People are revved up and ready to search. Let’s hope are found safe and sound, with nothing more than a flat tire or broken axle.
For those of you that are RVing, please be safe. Things are not like they used to be in the old days. Everything has changed. Be prepared, not scared.
More tomorrow.