Gary Robert Nuetzel, 79, was last seen in Costa Mesa, California on October 10, 2024. He is described as a white male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 140 pounds, with blue eyes and gray, collar-length hair. Nuetzel was an active, experienced hiker who grew up near Chantry Flat and had more than 50 years of familiarity with that part of the Angeles National Forest.

Nuetzel’s vehicle was found in the Chantry Flat parking area on October 28, 2024, which led authorities to believe he went missing while hiking. The area had reopened just over a week before his disappearance after a four-year closure following the Bobcat Fire; the terrain was reported as looking radically different from before the fire. Nuetzel was known to explore off-the-beaten-path locations and had not shared specific hiking plans with friends or family, contributing to a delay in the missing-person report.

Extensive search-and-rescue efforts have been conducted, including volunteers, horses, dogs, drones, multiple teams from across the state and a dive team that searched pools above and below Sturtevant Falls with no sign of him. Anyone who was hiking in the Chantry Flat area between October 14 and 16, 2024, is asked to check photos for possible signs of Nuetzel and to contact the Costa Mesa Police Department with information.