A retired Long Beach teacher has been missing for four days in the Mojave Desert amid triple-digit temperatures, raising concerns for her well-being.
Authorities and volunteers conducted extensive searches for Julie Goforth, 63, who was last seen Friday morning riding her dirt bike in the El Mirage Dry Lake Off Highway Recreation Area near Adelanto. As of Tuesday morning, neither he nor his bike had been found.
Goforth’s family has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his safe return. “We just want him to come home,” said his daughter, Candice Walker.
Goforth, an experienced rider, had just gotten a new bike, and visited the 27,000-acre off-roading area with a friend to try it out, according to his daughter. But after struggling a bit to get on the bike, Goforth broke up with his friend, telling him he was going back to their car, Walker said. The friend returned to the car and found Goforth gone, he said.
San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies searched for Goforth on horseback and in off-road vehicles, using search and rescue dogs, drones and a helicopter, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Volunteers with the Victor Valley Search and Rescue team also joined the effort. A search party organized by Goforth’s family members and friends went out Tuesday, using bicycles, all-terrain vehicles and several airplanes, his daughter said.
“Many days have passed, it’s hard to imagine that he’s still alive, but we hope he’s still alive,” said Walker. “And if not, we just want him to come home. Just bring him home to us so we can at least say goodbye.”
Goforth’s disappearance is particularly affected by the heat — local temperatures topped 100 degrees Friday and Saturday — and he may not have had enough water, officials said. His passenger, who entered the visitor center in the off-highway parking lot shortly before 10 a.m. Friday and told staff he was missing, said he was carrying a hydration pack with gallons of water, according to Carrie Buelna of the non-profit Friends of El Mirage, who works at the visitor center.
“That water would not have kept him all this time,” said Buelna on Tuesday. “We have concerns about his well-being.” It should have been a straightforward task compared to walking from where Goforth was riding to where the car was parked, especially for someone familiar with the area, Buelna added. “Nothing makes sense to us.”
Even though the bike was new, Goforth rode five or six times off-road, his daughter said. Although family members initially suspected he had fallen — possibly into one of the old mine shafts that dot the area — the fact that search teams worked so hard but to no avail raised concerns that something worse could have happened, Walker said. “Your mind starts to wander,” she said.
Goforth retired from her teaching job, most recently at Albert Baxter Elementary School in Bellflower, within the past two years, her daughter said. He is outgoing and active and enjoys surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and volunteering at a farm once a week, Walker said.
Goforth is about 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and brown black and white bike pants and riding a gray and white Kawasaki KLX 300R dirt bike, sheriff’s officials said. Anyone with information is asked to contact San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Det. Harris at (760) 552-6800.
