SONORA, California. – A week ago, Michael Moore received a wilderness permit to head to Powell Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness area. The next day, his dog was found unattended and two days later, his backpack was found, but he was not seen.
Authorities are searching for the 71-year-old man who was hiking in the wilderness. Officials said his dog was found near Forest Road 4N24 and his backpack was found on Forest Road 4N34, both west of the Gianelli Trailhead.
His backpack and dog were found toward Dodge Ridge, the opposite direction of Moore’s planned route, according to officials. His silver Toyota Corolla was also parked near the Gianelli Trailhead.
Moore was last seen wearing cut-off jean shorts, a black baseball cap, and an unknown color shirt. He is 5’6″ tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds.
Authorities are pulling out all the stops to search for Moore. Among others, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, as well as search and rescue teams from Nevada, Sacramento, San Mateo, Yolo, Santa Clara, Marin, Contra Costa, Calaveras, El Dorado, Stanislaus and Madera counties and the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Team are being deployed.
The California Rescue Dog Association, Wilderness Finders search dog teams and the California Highway Patrol are also assisting in the search.
Anyone with information on Moore’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office at (209) 533-5815.
