User talk:216.125.62.146

Thread Title: CA - Jared Negrete, 12, Mt. San Gorgonio, 19 July 1991 New Perspectives

Post Body:

Hello everyone, I’ve been diving deep into the 1991 disappearance of 12-year-old Boy Scout Jared Negrete on Mt. San Gorgonio. While this case is over 30 years old, new discussions, drone footage, and reconsiderations of the 1991 search data (specifically insights from former SAR member Rick Maschek) bring up some very interesting points.

I wanted to consolidate what I’ve found, particularly from "obscure" or less-traveled threads (like 2024/2025 Reddit threads and Locations Unknown Podcast insights), to brainstorm new search angles.

The Case Context (Refresher):

• Location: North side of San Gorgonio Mountain, near the summit (10,000–11,500 ft elevation).
• Last Seen: July 19, 1991, 6:00 PM, by a firefighter, near the top switchbacks of the Vivian Creek Trail.
• Evidence Found: Backpack, beef jerky, candy wrappers, and a Kodak disposable camera 45 feet off the trail.
• The Photo: The 12th photo on the film showed Jared's eyes/nose at night.

"New" Evidence & Overlooked Details:

• The "Shortcut" Down the North Side: Several sources mention Jared was seen taking shortcuts on the switchbacks, but specifically, it was reported he was headed down the north side, away from the trail, into a canyon area.
• The Camera Location Mystery: The camera was found 45 feet off-trail, but SAR reports mentioned intense, thick, almost impenetrable manzanita brush in that immediate area. If he was sliding down, his remains could be significantly further down in the drainage/canyon, not near the camera.
• The "Terrified" Interpretation: While some say the last photo was just a random shot, other reports state he looked genuinely terrified, suggesting he was in distress or hiding when it was taken.
• No Animal Remains: Despite the "scavenged by animals" theory, searchers found no bones or clothing remnants, which is unusual for a 19-day, high-intensity search of that scale, suggesting he may be buried under debris/vegetation.

Proposing New Ways to Find Him (2026 Perspective):

• Drones with Thermal/LiDAR Imaging: The area where he is believed to have disappeared is characterized by extremely dense vegetation (Manzanita) and steep, rocky terrain that was hard to crawl through in 1991. Modern drone technology (specifically LIDAR) could potentially identify anomalies (clothing/remains) under the brush that human eyes couldn't see.
• Targeted Search of the Northern Drainage: Instead of searching the general mountain area, focusing on the specific drainage system directly below the 10,000-foot level on the north side, where he was last seen descending.
• Searching the "Impossible" Brush: Using modern gear to cut through or climb over the "impenetrable" manzanita patches, which may have protected him from animals but kept him hidden from aerial searches.
• Reviewing "Unidentified" Remains: Cross-referencing if any unidentified remains found in Southern California over the last 30 years have been compared with Jared's dental records, as he could have potentially fallen into a lower-elevation area or been moved.

What do you all think? Could he be in a crevice that a drone could pick up? Links to reference: Wikipedia: Disappearance of Jared Negrete Strange Outdoors: Jared Negrete Reddit: r/UnresolvedMysteries