Arizona Congressional Aide Found Dead on Steep Death Valley Ledge
An Arizona congressional aide has been found dead days after he and his girlfriend went missing while on a camping trip in Death Valley, officials have confirmed.
Alexander Lofgren, 32, an aide to Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), was pronounced dead and his girlfriend Emily Henkel, 27, was airlifted to a hospital on Thursday for medical treatment. The couple were found on a “very steep ledge” in a remote area of Death Valley National Park near Willlow Creek, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
Inyo County search and rescue team members located the pair on Wednesday via aerial reconnaissance, and after a failed hoist operation due to the “extreme location,” were able to reach them at around 11:40 a.m. local time Thursday.