The extensive search for Margaret "Elaine" McKinley, the 79-year-old Redwood City resident who went missing while hiking in the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, continues with added manpower and technology. As reported by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, over 150 search and rescue personnel and four drone teams are now involved in locating McKinley, who was last seen wearing a red jacket and black pants.
Elaine, who suffers from dementia, was reported missing last Thursday after becoming separated from her family on Lost Trail. The search parties, which have tallied approximately 3,000 miles on the ground, now span multiple counties. Personnel from Alameda, Marin, and Santa Clara are pitching in to assist San Mateo's drone team in an expanded aerial search. "Our shared focus continues to be on finding Elaine. We remain hopeful and are each personally vested in these efforts," Sheriff Christina Corpus stated, per the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
The search effort includes various resources, from drones to the Sheriff’s Office airplane and the newly introduced tracking and trailing Bloodhound. Despite the FIRIS plane assisting with aerial scans on Friday, no confirmed sightings have been made. The Sheriff’s Office encourages residents in proximity to Windy Hill Open Space Preserve to review their surveillance footage from last Thursday at 10 AM onwards and report findings through an online form.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has been overwhelmed with the support and dedication of volunteers and personnel who have joined the endeavor. "We remain very hopeful that we will locate Elaine so she can be reunited with her loved ones," Sheriff Corpus said, as cited by Hoodline. As the search intensifies, the public can access hiking trails through entrances off of Skyline Boulevard. However, the parking lot off of Portola Road is closed, and an increased presence of law enforcement is expected.
Anyone with immediate sightings or information regarding McKinley's whereabouts is urged to call 911.
