Latest news with #InyoCountySheriff'sOffice
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Backpacking teacher dies just two miles into long solo hike after plunging 100ft
Harris Levinson, 61, vanished while undertaking a 140-mile hike earlier this month and after friends sounded the alarm, search and rescue units discovered his body days later A popular teacher died after plunging 100ft to his death while on 141-mile solo backpack trek. Harris Levinson was just two miles into his hiking adventure when he fell at Whitney Portal in California as he made his way to Yosemite National Park. The 61-year-old, who taught American studies and theatre at Vashon High School, near Seattle, didn't survive the huge fall. The experienced hiker's body was recovered by Inyo County Search and Rescue on Sunday. He was hoping to complete the mega mission, but died under an hour in after officials said it appeared the beloved teacher attempted to hike the 'climber's route' up Mount Whitney. A huge search was launched involving the National Park, Inyo National Forest, and the California Highway Patrol Office of Air Operations, with helicopters deployed after the alarm was raised by friends who were concerned he had not collected a food package. His car was located at the park. His friend Carrie McCarthy paid tribute to him on Facebook. She wrote that he had been 'planning this trip for months and was thrilled and excited to begin.' She added: 'Folks who connected with him in his final days report that he was joyful, eager, friendly and full of appreciation for his life and the opportunity to go on this adventure. In other words, he was Harris.' Inyo County Sheriff's Office released a statement detailing the events. It read: "On Wednesday, July 9, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office was contacted by Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park concerning a missing hiker, Harris Levinson, who planned to hike the John Muir Trail from Whitney Portal to Yosemite National Park. "Mr Levinson planned to begin his hike on June 23 after putting in a food resupply cache at Onion Valley that he planned to pick up on June 29. On July 8, his food cache had not been picked up, prompting a friend of Mr. Levinson to contact Sequoia-Kings NP. "Mr Levinson's car was located at Whitney Portal and Inyo County, in coordination with Sequoia-Kings NP, initiated a search using helicopters from the California Highway Patrol Office of Air Operations and Inyo National Forest, and ground searchers from Inyo County Search and Rescue. "Aided by data from Mr. Levinson's satellite messaging device, ground searchers located the body of Mr. Levinson at approximately 9,400 feet in the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, apparently the victim of a fatal fall. "The Inyo County Sheriff's Office and Inyo County Search and Rescue extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Levinson's family and friends, and we thank Sequoia-Kings National Park, Inyo National Forest, and the California Highway Patrol Office of Air Operations for their cooperation and assistance in this mission." The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber newspaper, which reported his death, said Mr Levinson was 'widely known and beloved on Vashon for his remarkable work as a teacher, youth mentor and theater-maker.' His students have been paying their own tributes across social media.
San Francisco Chronicle
13-07-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hiker, a beloved teacher, falls to his death on Northern California trail
A Washington state high school theater teacher fell to his death on the first day hiking the John Muir Train from Whitney Portal to Yosemite National Park. Harris Levinson, who taught American studies and theater at Vashon High School for two decades, planned to start his hike on June 23 after leaving a food resupply cache at Onion Valley, which he planned to pick up on June 29th, according to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office. By July 8, however, his food cache had still not been picked up, prompting a friend of Levinson to contact Sequoia-Kings National Park, which initiated a search using helicopters from the California Highway Patrol Office of Air Operations and Inyo National Forest. Levinson's car was located at Whitney Portal in Inyo County, and his body was found at approximately 9,400 feet in the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, 'apparently the victim of a fatal fall,' according to the sheriff's office. He was 61. He had fallen 100 feet off of a ledge on a treacherous section of terrain just 2 miles into his trip, according to a July 11 post by his friend Carrie McCarthy on Caring Bridge, an online platform to share information about the well-being of loved ones. A profile in the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber newspaper said Levinson was 'widely known and beloved on Vashon for his remarkable work as a teacher, youth mentor and theater-maker.' McCarthy said Levinson was an experienced hiker, had been 'planning this trip for months and was thrilled and excited to begin.' 'Folks who connected with him in his final days report that he was joyful, eager, friendly and full of appreciation for his life and the opportunity to go on this adventure,' McCarthy wrote. 'In other words, he was Harris.' Levinson, who taught at Vashon High School from 1997 to 2017, also taught Spanish. In 2017 he was hired as a Spanish teacher and youth mentor at Tacoma School for the Arts. He co-founded the nonprofit Sharing the Stage, which engaged local youth musicians to open for headliners playing Seattle venues. Levinson also was a 'talented writer, theater artist, puppeteer, and stand-up comic' who regularly acted with local theater groups, according to the Beachcomber. He last performed on Vashon in 2024 in Drama Dock's production of 'The Hatmaker's Wife.' In recent years he had become a dedicated pickleball player, the local paper reported. Another friend, Bill Jarcho, told the Beachcomber that he and his wife had been with Levinson the night before he left Vashon for the hike. Jarcho said Levinson had been both excited and a bit nervous about the journey, detailing how he would have to rapidly climb to an elevation above 11,000 feet because he had not received a permit that would have allowed him to take a lower route. 'When we said goodbye, Harris said, in both a joking and not-joking way, 'If I don't come back, you know that I've had a fantastic life and I have no regrets,'' Jarcho told the Beachcomber.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
North Carolina woman missing after vehicle found outside Death Valley in February
DEATH VALLEY, CA (KLAS) — Officials are asking for the public's help to locate a missing woman whose family has not seen her since November 2024. Her vehicle was found outside of Death Valley three months ago. According to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office in California, officers, along with the Death Valley National Park Service, found a vehicle in a remote area just outside of Death Valley called Slab City in early February. That area, located just off Highway 190, is commonly used by campers during the winter. The vehicle was a white 2009 Chevrolet HHR and is registered to Kelsey Pittman, 33, out of North Carolina. Kelsey is approximately 5 feet 5 inches and 130 pounds with strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes. Deputies and rangers searched the area for Kelsey or anyone else related to the vehicle but were unable to locate anyone. Over the next few months, deputies continued to run record checks to see if Kelsey was reported missing, with no results. Additionally, searches of the area were conducted using the Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, drones, and tracking dogs with no results. After Kelsey's mother reported her missing, she told Sheriff's Deputies the last time anyone had contact with her was in November 2024, when Kelsey spoke with law enforcement in Utah. If you have any information regarding Kelsey Pittman, please contact Investigator Howard at(760) 937-3234. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
01-04-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Fast-moving California wildfire burns 1,200 acres and prompts evacuations
Fast-moving California wildfire burns 1,200 acres and prompts evacuations Show Caption Hide Caption Silver Fire explodes near Bishop The Silver Fire has prompted evacuations and road closures. Fox - LA A fast-moving wildfire has burned about 1,250 acres and prompted evacuations in multiple counties in central California, authorities said Monday. The Silver fire began Sunday afternoon north of Bishop, a city located between Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National Park in Inyo County. More than 400 personnel are on the scene at the vegetation fire. About 800 homes were issued evacuation notices, Chloe Castillo, a spokesperson for Cal Fire in San Bernardino, said Monday. In addition, a 30-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 6 was also closed off before being reopened Monday morning, authorities said. The blaze is currently at 0% containment, Cal Fire and the Inyo County Sheriff's Office reported Monday. Authorities have set up an evacuation center at a senior center in Bishop, California. "The fire is actively threatening structures, critical infrastructure, endangered species habitats, watersheds, and cultural and heritage resources," Cal Fire's San Bernardino Unit posted on X Monday. "Fire activity intensified overnight, with significant runs driven by wind and terrain alignment. Air and ground resources have been significantly increased to support suppression efforts." The cause of the Silver Fire remains under investigation. This latest wildfire comes nearly three months after the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires in the Los Angeles region killed at least 29 people, burned more than 37,000 acres, or 57.8 square miles and damaged or destroyed more than 16,000 structures. Public Safety Alert! An active wildfire is in the vicinity of the US Highway 6 and Laws/Silver Canyon area. An evacuation order is in place. Highway 6 is closed. An evacuation center is established at the Benton Community Center, situated at 58869 Highway 120 in Benton, CA. — CHP Bishop (@CHP_Bishop) March 31, 2025 The Silver fire also arrived as the National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for parts of central California until 9 p.m. Monday. Southwest winds between 25 and 35 mph and gusts up to 65 mph are in the forecast for the area, potentially leading to the fire spreading further, the weather service said. Deadly L.A. fires finally contained: Palisades and Eaton wildfires 100% contained after nearly a month of burning The strong winds have already grounded some firefighting aircraft and complicated containment efforts, Cal Fire warned.
NBC News
31-03-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
Silver Fire breaks out in central California and explodes to 1,000 acres in a day
A vegetation fire erupted in central California over the weekend, quickly spreading to 1,000 acres and prompting evacuations in multiple counties. The Silver Fire ignited at 2:11 p.m. local time on Sunday in Inyo County near Highway 6 and Silver Canyon Road, north of Bishop, near the state border with Nevada. Hours later, evacuation orders were issued for the Laws in Inyo County, Chalfant in Mono County, and White Mountain Estates neighborhoods and a 30-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 6 was closed. The inferno quickly grew to 1,000 acres by 8 p.m. and is at 0% containment, according to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office. Photos of the blaze by Cal Fire showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from orange flames consuming dry, yellowed brush. Strong winds and gusts reaching up to 35 mph fueled the fire, which "created hazardous conditions, grounding some firefighting aircraft and complicating containment efforts," according to Cal Fire. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, and an evacuation center has been set up at Bishop Senior Center in Bishop. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for parts of central California from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT on Monday. Southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 65 mph are forecast for the area, which could encourage further fire spread. It comes as dangerous fires have been burning across the country in the past weeks. Blazes exploded in South Carolina earlier this month and continue to burn. South Carolina state officials are expected to lift a statewide burn ban for most counties Monday morning. However, five counties —Greenville, Horry, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg — face ongoing wildfire threats and will remain under restrictions. There, the Table Rock Fire spans nearly 11,000 acres in South Carolina and 574 acres in neighboring North Carolina, and is at 9% containment, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission's Sunday report. Meanwhile, the Persimmon Ridge Fire burned over 2,000 acres and is at 24% containment. Mandatory evacuations remain in place for some residents of Greenville County. These fires are fueled by dry vegetation and downed timber left in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
