Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.)’S assistant was found dead Friday after he and his girlfriend went missing in Death Valley National Park in California.
Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook that 32-year-old Alexander Lofgren and his girlfriend, 27-year-old Emily Henkel, via air reconnaissance on a ‘remote and steep edge’ in the Willow Creek area the parking.
-Final Press Release- INYO COUNTY, CA, APRIL 9, 2021, 3:30 pm – About 11:40 am today Inyo County Search and …
Posted by Inyo County Sheriff on Thursday, April 08, 2021
Authorities said Lofgren died, but Henkel was found alive and flown for medical treatment.
The cause of Lofgren’s death, as well as Henkel’s condition, are both unclear.
Lofgren was a businessman in Grijalva’s district office. According to The Republic of Arizona, he was appointed in 2019 as part of Congressman’s Wounded Warrior Fellowship program.
‘The passion he dedicated to his work every day has touched countless lives. “Regardless of the situation, Alex met those he helped with a smiling face, a caring heart and unparalleled empathy,” Grijalva said in a statement on Twitter.
Words cannot begin to describe how sad I am about the death of Alex Lofgren, a dedicated businessman in my district office.
Alex will be a part of our family forever, and my heart goes out to his family, his loving friend Emily, and his colleagues who mourn him today. pic.twitter.com/Fyi7zWNYiK
– Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) 9 April 2021
The sheriff’s office began searching for the couple on Tuesday after receiving a message that they had not returned from their trip on April 4.
Authorities first tracked down their missing white Subaru Forester, 2018, at 11 a.m. Thursday afternoon with a note that read: “Two flat tires, which are off to Mormon Point, have three days’ worth of water.”
The note was an “important tip in the search for efforts,” authorities said.
Authorities tracked down the couple Thursday afternoon, but an attempt to rescue them failed due to the “extreme location” where they were found. Search and rescue team members were able to successfully rescue them on Friday at 11:40 p.m.
“This has been a very difficult operation in a very unforgiving geographical area of Inyo County. I sincerely hope for healing and recovery for all involved,” Inyo County Sheriff Jeff Hollowell said in a statement.