Missing Woman Found Safe

Jean Marie Etherton, who had been missing for four days, is now home safe.

Wednesday morning, search and rescue crews successfully located Jean Marie Etherton in the heavily-wooded McKay Tract near Cutten.

Efforts from Five Counties

Crews from Humboldt, Marin, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Alameda Counties participated in the intensive search. Early Wednesday morning, a team from Sonoma County discovered Etherton just outside the designated search zone.

Shar Nordstrom from Sonoma County Search and Rescue shared, “We got to the bottom of the road, and we were all looking at our maps to see if we finished all of our assignment, and we heard a little noise behind us, and we all turned around and there she was. She was right alongside the road. So she’d been bedded down there, most likely, and she was wanting to be found. She was ready to be found.”

A Grateful Community

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Etherton was wearing the same outfit as when she disappeared. It appears she had stayed in the same location the entire time.

Sheriff William Honsal expressed his relief, “To know that our search and rescue teams found her alive and stable, and she was talking, it was pretty amazing. So, it gave us all a great feeling, and it gave us that energy, that boost. When we can make that phone call to the family to deliver good news, it is pretty spectacular. The family, again, overjoyed.”

The family shared their gratitude with Redwood News: “We never lost hope and had every bit of confidence she would be located. We knew she couldn’t have made it far, the search teams were dedicated to finding her and we are so glad she is finally found.”

Current Status

Upon being found, Etherton was hungry and thirsty. She is currently receiving medical care.

Story by Abraham Navarro