79-year-old woman vanishes on family hike, California cops say. Search continues

A search continues for a 79-year-old woman with dementia who vanished on a family hike in the San Francisco Bay Area, California sheriff’s officials reported.

Margaret “Elaine” McKinley of Redwood City became separated from her family in the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve on Thursday, May 1, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

McKinley was last seen about noon walking on the Lost Trail while wearing a red jacket and black pants, sheriff’s officials said.

Searchers looked for her with an airplane, drones, K-9s, horses, bicycles and more, deputies said.

On Saturday, more than 150 searchers combed the 1,400-acre preserve using a grid system, the office said in a later news release.

“Unfortunately, no sightings were reported,” the sheriff’s office said.

Officials also asked people living near the preserve to check their security cameras and report any sightings to an online form or by calling 911.

San Mateo County is about a 35-mile drive south from San Francisco.

This story was originally published May 4, 2025 at 10:29 AM with the headline "79-year-old woman vanishes on family hike, California cops say. Search continues."