MISSING PERSON
CASE #: 1999-52
Carl Herbert Landers
Status:
Open
Date of Last Contact:
Date of Last Contact:
Missing From:
Mount Shasta, California
Summary:
Carl Herbert Landers, a 69-year-old experienced climber from Orinda, California, disappeared on May 25, 1999, while attempting to summit Mount Shasta, a 14,179-foot peak in northern California. Landers was on a quest to climb the highest peak in every California county. An extensive search of the mountain turned up no sign of him. His case remains unsolved.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Disappearance:
On May 21, 1999, 69-year-old Carl Herbert Landers from Orinda, California, set out to conquer the summit of Mount Shasta, located north of Sacramento, accompanied by two close friends, Milton "Milt" Gaines, 64, and Barry Gillmore, 60, both fellow members of the Orinda Road Runners, a local running club where they had met. He disappeared after he complained of feeling poorly and left Camp 50-50, elevation 9,400 feet, where he and two climbing partners spent the night before their planned climb, without his partners to get a head start. He complained of feeling ill and left camp at 9:00 a.m., ahead of his two climbing partners, to get a head start. Landers was last seen near Lake Helen in Siskiyou County, California on May 22, 1999. He planned to climb Mount Shasta and was carrying a backpack full of food and water. His partners thought he was headed up to Lake Helen, where they planned to meet. A Forest Service ranger told searchers he spoke with "an older man" near Lake Helen about climbing routes. He has never been heard from again.
Additional Details:
When Gaines and Gilmore didn't catch up to Landers, they reported him missing. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department started searching immediately, enlisting the assistance of a California National Guard air ambulance helicopter and a California Highway Patrol helicopter equipped with an infrared sensing device. A ground search began Sunday morning with U.S. Forest Service rangers and volunteers on skis and on foot. The California Highway Patrol, the National Guard and more than 50 volunteers combed the southwestern region of the peak trying to locate him. Siskiyou County sheriff's officials continued the air and ground search, joined by search and rescue volunteers from southern Oregon and Marin, San Mateo, Humboldt, Sutter and Placer counties. Extensive searches by professional mountain rescue teams, led by Grizz Adams—a veteran with over 20 years of experience—yielded no trace of Landers. Landers is an experienced hiker, mountain climber and distance runner, and was in good physical shape in 1999. Landers lived in Orinda, California at the time of his disappearance, and had formerly served on the town's school board. He is married to former Orinda Mayor Bobbie Landers and has been a longtime member of the Road Runners, a group of distance runners and mountain climbers. Carl was retired from the air conditioning industry and living in Orinda, California with his wife, Bobby Landers, who was also the former mayor of Orinda. Carl had children as well, a son who was also named Carl, and two daughters. He has climbed Mount Whitney, hiked the Grand Canyon and made several other climbs in Utah and California with club members.
Case Last Updated:
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Share what you learnTimeline of Events
Search continues with over 80 rescue workers and volunteers from multiple counties and agencies
Ground search begins with U.S. Forest Service rangers and volunteers on skis and on foot
Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office receives a call from cell phone about a missing hiker on Mount Shasta
Landers was last seen near Lake Helen after speaking with a Forest Service ranger about climbing routes
Landers complained of feeling ill and left Camp 50-50 at 9:00 a.m., ahead of his climbing partners, to get a head start toward Lake Helen
Carl Landers and his two friends, Milton Gaines and Barry Gillmore, depart from Orinda for Mount Shasta
Associated Persons
Merrily T. (Child) - Living
Bobbie L. (Spouse) - Living
Barry G. (Climbing partner, friend) - Living
Milton G. (Climbing partner, friend) - Living
Carl L. (Child) - Living
Holly B. (Child) - Living
Family Tree
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Missing Person
Missing Person
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