Two people have been reported missing after a weekend excursion that may have taken them to Joshua Tree National Park. Tony Nosow of Landers, California, and Helen Melnyk of Lakewood, California, were reported by family members as overdue after a Thanksgiving weekend trip in Nosow’s four-wheel drive Chevy Silverado pickup truck. Family members said that Nosow and Melnyk intended to visit the park on Saturday, November 24th, to drive some of area’s backcountry roads. Park rangers were notified of the missing individuals on Sunday night. Interviews with park staff led rangers to believe that a vehicle with a driver matching MrNosow’s description entered the park about mid-morning on Saturday. Rangers searched all park backcountry roads on Monday in an effort to locate the vehicle and the missing people. Neither was found. The park also contacted the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for assistance with an aerial search of the park. A fixed-wing CHP aircraft and a CHP helicopter flew over the park Monday in an effort to see if the vehicle was driven off road. The aerial search was also unsuccessful. At present, it is uncertain if Melnyk or Nosow remain in the park or left the park before they were reported overdue. Park rangers have no information about where they might have been intending to visit while in the park. A missing persons report has been filed with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in Lakewood, California.

Contact Information
Name: Joe Zarki, Public Information Officer