A 27-year-old female Chinese hiker, Dongying Qiu, went missing at Mt. Whitney, California in western U.S., since last Sunday. The rescuers are continuing to search for her and calling for all hikers to provide information.
Qiu went hiking with two friends in Mt. Whitney on May 21. After reaching Trail Crest, she decided to turn around and separated with her friends. The other two went on to ascend Whitney. The two that ascended Whitney returned back to Whitney Portal around midnight but could not locate the missing companion who was lost between switchback and the trailhead.
According to the Office of Inyo County Sheriff, Qiu wore a blue jacket, navy blue pants, brown hiking boots and carried a pink-black backpack. The County Sheriff received notification of missing at 9 a.m. this Monday, May 22, and started to search.
The rescuers are trying to locate Qiu's backpack in order to find her. The team is asking for other hikers at Mt. Whitney to provide information.
"Today is a crucial day for the rescue operation. we are working hard to seek more help from skillful search-and-rescue crew members," one of the Chinese volunteers in the search-and-rescue team told Xinhua.
Mt. Whitney lies on the boundary of Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest and stands at 14,494 feet tall (4418 meters). Easy accessibility makes it a prime destination for hikers and climbers.
