George Penca wasn’t generally a hiker, but in June of 2011, when his church was taking a trip to Yosemite, he was excited to go.
Around 80 church members would go on this trip, many of whom were George’s friends and family.
George, at age 30, wasn’t an experienced outdoorsman by any means. He wasn’t a hiker or adventurer, but he liked being with his church group and his family. He enjoyed activities with his friends, and this seemed like a great opportunity- a time to explore one of the most beautiful National Parks, Yosemite.
On the morning of June 17, 2011, a group of around 20 people decided to make the trek up to Yosemite Falls. Now, there are several ways up to the falls. Some are labeled as easy hikes, and some are strenuous.
The group made it up to the falls around 2:40 p.m. and then decided that everyone could walk back down at their own pace, and they’d meet up at the bottom.
But George never met them at the bottom. It was easily learned that no one had seen George since the top at the falls. George Penca was missing.
Searchers of the area turned up no immediate signs of George, and search groups would converge on the area.
George Penca was born on February 22, 1981. In the year 2011, we know that George was living with his mother in Hawthorne, California, just southwest of Los Angeles.
We don’t know much about what George liked to do, but it was noted that he was not an experienced hiker or outdoorsman.
In June, however, his church planned a trip up to Yosemite National Park, a five-hour drive to the north.
George was excited to go on this trip.
On the morning of June 17, about 20 people from the group decided to hike up to Yosemite Falls. Some of these hikes are labeled as easy, accessible hikes, and others are a bit more strenuous. No matter which hiker you take, It is almost always busy, especially in the summer months.
The group made their way up to the top of the falls, and once at the top, George walked over to the creek to get some water.
They all had decided they would walk back down at their own pace and meet up at the bottom.
George did mention to his cousin on that hike, that he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to get back. So when George wasn’t seen initially on the way back down, they thought he had walked on ahead since he had mentioned he wasn’t feeling good.
Once the group had reunited at the bottom, they noticed George wasn’t there. They waited a while for him to show up, but he never did.
He was quickly reported as missing.
Search and rescue came out right away to search for George, but it wouldn’t be until the next morning, the morning of June 18, that the search hit full scale. Over 100 trained search and rescuers came out to search. Dogs were brought out, helicopters were utilized and the search lasted for a week before being scaled back.
During this time, search teams found zero evidence or signs of George. Did he wander off the trail and get hurt? Was he lost? They found nothing to lead them in any direction. And what’s even more baffling, is they knew his last known location- the top of Yosemite Falls.
We’ve seen many cases where searchers don’t even know which direction to look in, or even where to start. But in George’s case, they did know.
It’s also interesting that no one remembers seeing him wander off- especially in such a crowded area. And George had no cell phone, so using GPS or cell phone pings was not an option.
There are conflicting stories I’ve read too, from those who have done the Yosemite Falls hike- if you have done this particular hike in Yosemite, I’m curious to know your thoughts.
Many said in June the water would be rushing, and it would be easy to be swept away into the water. But, I’m sure search and rescue teams investigated that possibility, right?
Is it possible he slipped into the water without being seen and was carried away?
On June 23, the search officially was labeled a ‘limited continuous search’. We’ve had this designation before in cases, a ‘limited continuous search’ means that investigators and search teams can’t be out there searching 24/7 anymore, but they keep the case open and active, and any leads that come in will be immediately followed up on.
Over 3.5 million people visit Yosemite National Park each year, with Yosemite Falls being one of the top destinations within the park.
I had read that Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in the United States at 2,425 feet tall. It is actually made up of three waterfalls that merge together. Additional research, however, has different waterfalls claiming to be the tallest waterfall in the U.S., and to be honest, it doesn’t matter. What does matter, is it is a huge waterfall with a million visitors a year. What also matters is a man went missing in this popular national park, and no one has seen or heard from him since.
No clues have been turned up, and no signs of his whereabouts, or what may have happened that summer afternoon. There has also been no usage of his bank accounts or his social security number.
The Penca Family stayed up in the Yosemite area for a while to help search for George. Yet still they found no answers. There was no trail to follow, so to speak, there were no signs of foul play…there was just…nothing.
So what could have happened?
Did George wander off and get lost or injured? He was not an experienced hiker, why would he stray from the group?
What about the fact that he told his cousin he wasn’t feeling good? Could that play a role in what happened to him?
Did anyone else know he wasn’t feeling good? What was his demeanor and mental state like beforehand?
Was there anyone in the group that wasn’t accounted for for any length of time? Does anyone have any history with George? Negative history?
While it is generally believed that he became lost or injured, I still have questions about that theory as well.
Since search and rescue knew where to search, and over a hundred participated in searches for over a week, why wasn’t he found? Did he wander off and just keep walking?
Remember, they brought in search dogs and used helicopters too, but still no sign of George.
Do you think he could have wandered off and evaded searchers?
Would he have done so on purpose?
What do you think happened to George Penca?
George is described as a Caucasian male, standing 5’10” tall and weighing around 240 pounds when he was last seen in June 2011. George was 30 years old then, and would today be 41.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Yosemite National Park Service at 209-379-1992.
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