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35 involved in search for Joe Salas
The search for former Saipan resident Joseph “Joe” S. Salas entered its third day yesterday with still no sign of the brother of CNMI delegate candidate Andrew Salas.
Joe Salas
The search party is made up of members of the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, and Valley County Search and Rescue. The search also involves two Bear Air and Lifeflight helicopters.
The Idaho County Sheriff’s Office said they were advised of an overdue hunter in the Cloochman Saddle area in southern Idaho County on Saturday, Oct. 11, (Sunday, Oct. 12, in the CNMI) at 9:40pm.
The sheriff’s office reported that Salas was last seen at 10:30am last Saturday, when he and his hunting partner split up.
“Salas was reported to not be prepared to be out overnight nor was he dressed for the cold, snowy weather,” the statement said.
The sheriff’s office also said that on Monday afternoon (Tuesday in the CNMI), family members searching for Salas also became lost, which forced the search for Salas to be suspended while the searchers looked for the family members who were then located about two hours later.
7 KTVB.COM (www.ktvb.com), meanwhile, reported that close to 50 police and volunteers are now involved in the search and are looking for Salas “in a very remote and steep area” and, so far, “search crews have covered about 15 squares miles.”
The news channel reported that Salas was last seen wearing a hunter’s orange hat and camouflage clothing.
7 KTVB.COM also reported that searchers found an arrow drawn in the dirt near a trailhead in a deep drainage, along with a whistle, which could be a positive sign and can help to eventually find Salas.
Salas moved to the U.S. mainland some five years ago. He used to be president of the Saipan Little League Baseball Association, a staff of former representative Ed Salas at the House of Representatives, and used to manage a garment factory in Tanapag. He and his wife Cathy have two sons.
