About 30 individuals are searching the Gasquet area for a missing 74-year-old Washington woman. | Photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Sheriff

About 30 individuals from multiple agencies are combing the dense brush in the French Hill Road area near Gasquet for a 74-year-old Washington woman who is still missing, Del Norte County Sheriff Garrett Scott said Sunday.

The woman was separated from her adult daughter and husband while mushroom hunting on Friday evening. Crews are searching the area between milepost marker 5 on French Hill Road and milepost marker 15 on U.S. 199, Scott said.

“It’s extremely brushy, very dense, (with) a pretty high canopy of trees so it’s really difficult for the helo,” Scott told the Outpost at about noon Sunday. “Ground crews are having to hand-search through that dense brush.”

The missing woman is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds, Scott said. She’s wearing a green rain jacket and pink pants and has a black medium sized dog with her.

Meanwhile, her 44-year-old daughter is still at Sutter Coast Hospital after she was found Saturday evening. According to Scott, the daughter has mild hypothermia and is expected to recover.

Her father, who had arrived at the Gasquet Ranger Station at about 8 p.m. to report that he had been separated from his wife and daughter, is at the incident command post on French Hill Road currently, Scott said.

Agencies assisting with the search include a K9 team from Curry County, the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, crews from Pelican Bay State Prison and Del Norte Search & Rescue, Scott said. The U.S. Coast Guard also helped with the search by sending a helicopter to the area.

“It’s extremely helpful and appreciated,” Scott said of the help. “After a few days your search teams get so tired and worn out that fresh people are very welcome. We’re thankful.”

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