An aide to Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) Was found dead Friday after he and his girlfriend disappeared in Death Valley National Park, California.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on Facebook that Alexander Lofgren, 32, and his girlfriend, Emily Henkel, 27, were located through an aerial reconnaissance in a “Remote and steep ledge” in the Willow Creek area, in the park.
-Final press release- INYO COUNTY, CA, APRIL 9, 2021, 3:30 to 11:40 p.m., today in Inyo County and …
Published by the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, April 8, 2021
Authorities said Lofgren was dead, but Henkel was located alive and taken to medical care.
The cause of Lofgren’s death, as well as Henkel’s condition, are unclear.
Lofgren was a case worker in the Grijalva district office. In accordance with The Republic of Arizona, was hired in 2019 as part of the Wounded Warrior Fellow Fellowship Program.
“The passion he dedicated to his work every day touched countless lives. Regardless of the situation, Alex met with those he helped with a smiling face, a caring heart and unparalleled empathy, ”Grijalva said in a statement posted on two Twitter.
Words cannot begin to describe how heartbroken I am about the death of Alex Lofgren, a case worker dedicated to my district office.
Alex will be a part of our family forever and my heart is with his family, his loving partner Emily and his companions who mourn him today. pic.twitter.com/Fyi7zWNYiK
– Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) April 9, 2021
The sheriff’s office said it began searching for the couple on Tuesday after receiving the report that they had not returned from their trip on April 4th.
Authorities first located his missing 2018 Subaru Forester on Thursday afternoon at 11 a.m. with a note saying “two flat tires, headed for Mormon Point, have three days of water.”
The note was a “crucial piece of advice for directing search efforts,” authorities said.
Authorities located the couple Thursday afternoon, but tried to rescue them because of the “extreme location” where they were found. Members of the search and rescue team were able to successfully rescue them at 11:40 a.m. Friday.
“This has been a tremendously difficult operation in a geographical area that does not forgive Inyo County, I sincerely hope for the healing and recovery of all involved,” Inyo County Sheriff Jeff Hollowell said in a statement. .