Oak Creek Canyon — On Friday, May 6, 2016 at about 9:07 am 911 dispatchers received a call from an individual who identified himself as the campground host for the Pine Flat Campground located in Oak Creek Canyon. According to the caller an adult female who was camping by herself failed to check out of her camping space as she was scheduled to do. The host identified the missing camper as fifty-nine year-old Debra Ann Schwartz of Tempe, Arizona.
Upon the Deputies arrival at Pine Flats they found the missing person’s vehicle and her assembled tent and other camping equipment. It appears that Debra Schwartz left her campground for an unknown destination and failed to return as scheduled.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Command Staff, Deputies and Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue personnel are conducting an intensive ground search aided by the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Helicopter based in Kingman, AZ. Although the helicopter crew has conducted multiple flights in the area they have not detected the presence of the missing person. Sheriff’s Detectives are conducting a parallel missing person investigation in an attempt to determine the circumstances leading up to Debra’s disappearance.
Anyone with information regarding the current location or the circumstances leading up to Debra Schwartz’s disappearance are urged to immediately contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
The Northern Arizona Gazette normally does not delete or edit comments or opinions added to articles. However, we received a comment on this article which did not meet our editorial policy. It added nothing to the cause of finding this missing person. As such, it was deleted. It is always the prayer of the staff of the Northern Arizona Gazette that missing persons are found alive and well.