Body of California man who was stranded in desert found
PAHRUMP — Authorities are investigating the death of a California man whose SUV became stuck in a desert area of Pahrump.
Nye County Sheriff Joe Mcgill told the Pahrump Valley Times that the man, who was later identified as Alan Loman, 67, called 911 on Sept. 5 to report that he was lost and got stranded in the desert while en route to Sheri’s Ranch Brothel.
Loman had stayed at Saddle
West Hotel Casino in Pahrump the previous night, according to receipts found inside his vehicle, Mcgill noted.
After deputies failed to locate Loman, Nye County Search and Rescue was summoned, along with air support from Las Vegas.
“Deputies eventually located the vehicle, where they found a note from the man stating that he was walking to Highway 160,” Mcgill said.
The sheriff said dispatchers attempted to locate Holman by pinging his cellphone. Those attempts were unsuccessful.
Hours later, Mcgill said, Loman’s body was found in the desert, roughly a quarter-mile from his vehicle.
A search-and-rescue helicopter team recovered his body and took it to the Hafen Elementary School parking lot before it was taken to the Clark County coroner’s office.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Loman likely succumbed to heat exposure while attempting to walk to the highway in triple-digit temperatures.
Mcgill praised the efforts of the Southern Nevada Off-road Recovery team, which retrieved the vehicle and brought it to the roadway the following morning.
“They are a (nonprofit) volunteer organization who primarily work on donations,” he said. “They tow people’s stuck cars out of the desert to where tow trucks can reach them. They went out there with me and towed it out to Hafen Ranch Road, where we called a tow truck and recovered the vehicle.”
Mcgill offered advice to those who find themselves in similar situations.
“If you’re ever stranded in the desert, 911 oftentimes will work,” he said. “Texts to 911 oftentimes will work when your cellphone doesn’t. Whatever you do, stay with your vehicle because it’s a larger object for us to find, thus it’s easier to find you if you stay with your vehicle.”