German Tourists Missing On Trip To Yosemite Found Alive After Crash
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (CBS13) -- The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday said three German tourists visiting Yosemite who had gone missing have been found alive, but two were airlifted after a serious accident.
According to the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office, the trio – 63-year-old Monika Shmidt, 57-year-old Maria Fissman and 16-year-old Reiki Regel – was a part of a group of 10 that had set out from San Francisco to visit Yosemite National Park. The group rented five motorcycles and a GMC Yukon for the drive.
The last time the whole group was together was at a gas station in Crane Flate on Monday afternoon, according to the sheriff's office. From there, the group was supposed to meet in Groveland later in the evening for dinner, but the Yukon never showed up.
Searchers had combed Highway 120 from Groveland to Yosemite Valley without finding the Yukon. Authorities said during their search they were not able to ping the SUV's On Star nor the trio's cellphones. The trio's credit cards have also not been used.
On Tuesday afternoon, the sheriff's office announced that the trio had been found about a half mile east of Buck Meadows. It appears the the vehicle they were driving was involved in an accident.
Upon arrival, sheriff's deputies found one woman trapped inside of the vehicle and one ejected. The teenager Regel was able to get out of the vehicle on her own.
As of 1:55 p.m., an air ambulances had flown two of the women to Modesto hospitals. Emergency crews were still on scene with the last patient.
The extent of the tourists' injuries is not yet known.
California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.
