The multi-agency quest to find Margaret "Elaine" McKinley, the 79-year-old Redwood City resident with dementia, continues as over 150 search and rescue personnel scour the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. Last seen on the Lost Trail last Thursday, wearing a distinctive red jacket and black pants, McKinley's disappearance has rallied a remarkable response. According to Hoodline, the initial search party of more than 40 increased exponentially when neighboring counties, through a Mutual Aid Request, sent an additional 70 searchers to assist.
As per Hoodline, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said, "We remain very hopeful that we will locate Elaine so she can be reunited with her loved ones." The current efforts include ground personnel and technological assistance, such as drones, the Sheriff’s Office airplane, and even the newly acquired tracking and trailing Bloodhound.
Residents near the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve have been urged by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office to check their cameras for any footage of McKinley from 10 AM last Thursday onwards. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with relevant camera footage to reach out immediately, as any information could prove pivotal in the search.
As the search passes the 48-hour mark, the array of resources has expanded, including human searchers and horses, bicycles, off-road motorcycles, and advanced aerial surveillance. Despite hours of FIRIS plane-assisted scanning on Friday, no sightings were reported. The public is advised that hiking trails remain accessible through entrances off of Skyline Boulevard, but to expect an increased law enforcement presence.
Anyone with immediate sightings or information on McKinley's whereabouts is urged to call 911.
