A sad and scary case of a missing man in Prescott had a happy ending earlier this month.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office joined forces with search and rescue volunteers to look for Alonso “Israel” Salazar, a 24-year-old man with mild autism who went missing from Emmanuel Pines Camp on the evening of Sunday, June 3rd.
Thankfully, he was located mid-day on Tuesday, June 5 after crews spent nearly 48 hours searching for him.
According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Israel wandered away from the camp around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, prompting a search effort that included search dogs, volunteers on horseback, jeeps and all-terrain vehicles.YCSO’s Rescue 1 helicopter and an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter with night vision were also used in the search. Salazar’s family in Tucson drove up to assist in the search and remain updated on any developments. Thankfully, Salazar was safely located just outside the campground area on Tuesday by a friend of a camp employee as part of a trail check.
Salazar told YCSO deputies he went to hide in the woods due to a conflict with camp rules and he didn’t want to get into trouble. He was very thirsty and wanted water when he came out of the woods. Officials believe it’s highly likely that Salazar was in the woods with no food, water or shelter for the whole time he was missing.
For more information, please visit the official website of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.