California searchers scale back hunt for missing traveling nurse

Ann Herford, 66, was last seen on Nov. 12 and reported missing two days later when the traveling nurse failed to arrive for a shift at Adventist Health in Sonora. Investigators learned she had told a friend that she was interested in hiking while in California, and on Nov. 15, a California Highway Patrol officer discovered Herford’s car at the Arnold Rim trailhead, about a 45-minute drive from the Best Western where she was staying.

The Arnold Rim Trail area has been the center of a massive hunt involving almost 480 searchers and 18 agencies, including canine units, dive teams and air support.

“The search operation spanned a challenging and mountainous 12 square-mile area, in which search teams created over 2,475 linear miles of search tracks,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday. “This operation has been characterized by a continuous and coordinated blend of search and investigation, with investigators conducting over 100 neighborhood contacts to gather potential leads and information.”

Sheriff’s office investigators said they also reviewed surveillance footage from Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, and examined Herford’s car, computer and cellphone data. Based on the evidence, they do not believe she was the victim of foul play.

The search will now be scaled back to “limited local search and investigative efforts.”

“Residents surrounding the Arnold Rim Trail area are still asked to check their property and outbuildings for signs of Ann or evidence of her having taken shelter from the elements,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Updates will continue to be provided as more information becomes available.”