Search Underway for Missing Southern Humboldt Senior
Community members are searching for an elderly man who has gone missing in the Southern Humboldt area. David “Dave” Taylor, believed to be between 80 and 82 years old, was maybe last seen on February 7 at the Whitethorn Post Office. He is described as being about 6 feet 2 inches tall with long white hair and a white beard.
Taylor, who lives alone in Whale Gulch, was reportedly taken to the hospital on February 5 for a medical emergency. A friend later picked him up from the hospital and dropped him off at the Whitethorn Post Office, where his vehicle—a silver or grey early 1990s Nissan Pathfinder, possibly a two-door—was located. He left from there in his vehicle. This may have been the last time he was seen. Details are still being sorted out.
Aurora Studebaker, Briceland Volunteer Fire Department’s fire chief, said neighbors who regularly check on Taylor noticed he was not home. “He lives in Whale Gulch, so we assume he would have headed back there, but at this point, we don’t know,” she said, emphasizing concerns over his medical condition.
Diana Totten, a well-known search coordinator in Southern Humboldt, told us that it is believed that a missing person report has been filed with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department. However, she noted that because it is the weekend, details remain difficult to confirm.
Anyone who has seen Taylor or has information about his whereabouts is urged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department (707) 463-4411 or can just email [email protected] and we’ll make sure the information is passed on to Chief Studebaker or Diana Totten.
NOTE: This article has been updated as details are being confirmed. Those searching are still sorting out the details.
Update 2/24/25: According to Captain Quincy Cromer with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, Dave Taylor is 84 years old and was last seen at the Whitethorn Post Office on February 6, 2025.
Update: Search Continues for Missing Whale Gulch Resident Dave Taylor
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Hoping he is found soon…
Why report to Mendocino Sheriff instead of Humboldt? Or will this be reported to both?
Whale Gulch is in Mendocino County. But, yes, reporting to both counties feels appropriate.
Whale gulch is technically Mendocino even though access is through Humboldt
Whale Gulch is located in Mendocino County, although you have to travel on Humboldt roads to get there. Let’s hope HCSO has also been notified. And that this gentleman is home safe soon.
Damn…a week later ?
After the update…
Maybe half a month, actually…
“maybe last seen on February 7”,
Today would be day 16…
What em I missing here The vehicle located it says .Man is missing on foot ? Where’s your team of search dogs ? and drones to look along the creek if he fell down the ditch along the road way.
It’s poorly worded, but I believe it means his friend dropped him off at the post office where his vehicle was. It doesn’t say if the vehicle is still there or if he drove away in it…?
Definitely a poorly written article
It states…
“A friend later picked him up from the hospital and dropped him off at the Whitethorn Post Office, where his vehicle—a silver or grey early 1990s Nissan Pathfinder, possibly a two-door—was located.”
Then, it says that, “He left from there.”
But, what it doesn’t say is whether or not he left from there”, on foot, or if, “he left from there.” in his vehicle, or if his vehicle has actually been recovered from there, or not…
Hopefully he is somewhere at a friend’s house, where he is receiving care, and he will be located very soon…
I updated it so it is clearer that he left in his vehicle. I apologize I thought it was clear that we gave the description of the vehicle because it was also gone.
No apology necessary, Kym…
Maybe I’m the only one that has had previous consequential misunderstandings based on the use of the word “located”, because of it’s opposite meanings of, “found there”, and “put there”…
I’ve definitely run into that issue before…
Thank you for the clarification, and for spreading the word to the community…
I’m assuming that he is not on foot, and that his vehicle has not been “located” as in “found”, found, only that his vehicle had previously been “located”, at the post office, as in “left there”, or “placed there”, possibly by him on his way to the hospital, where he met with someone who took him to the hospital in their vehicle, and then returned him to the Post Office, where his vehicle was previously “left” or “placed” a very different meaning of the word located)…
Also ambiguous is which hospital he was taken to, Garberville or Fortuna/Eureka…
The only reason difference being whether Garberville was too far for him to comfortably have driven, or if it was a trip an hour longer that was uncomfortable for him to have driven…
Just driving back to the Gulch for him may have been difficult, especially if it was dark/ dusk, when he was dropped of at the post office/his vehicle, which is also not mentioned…
He clearly wears glasses, and even being 20 years younger, like I am, I know that driving for me at night is much more difficult, as I also wear glasses, and it is not really doable, without them, if he ended up being inadvertantly dropped off without them, at night…
Does anyone know if he would have taken Chemise Mountain Road, or if he would have gone through Whitethorn proper…???
I hope he is located soon…
Could he have gone out Usal Road, or towards Needle Rock/Jones Beach/Sinkyone, by mistake…???
Kym,
Just to clarify…
“A friend later picked him up from the hospital and dropped him off at the Whitethorn Post Office, where his vehicle—a silver or grey early 1990s Nissan Pathfinder, possibly a two-door—was ➡️located⬅️.”
_____________________________________
…”possibly a two door”…,
…and…
“…a silver or grey early 1990’s Nissan Pathfinder…”
Suggests that the vehicle hasn’t been in fact “located”, (found), it just indicates that is where his Nissan Pathfinder was allegedly “located”, (left/parked), ( “located” meaning that is where it supposedly WAS, when he returned for it, not where it was subsequently “found” without him, by people searching for him…
Possibly a two door, wouldn’t still be a “mystery” if the vehicle has already been “found”, (“located”)…
Big difference, as it either means he is on foot, if his vehicle was “located”, or that he may have driven it away from the Whitethorn Post Office, and that both he, AND his Pathfinder, are missing together, or he and his Pathfinder are possibly both missing seperately, now…
Sounds to me like neither have been found…(“located”)…
In this “case”, using the words, “found”, and/or, the words, “where it was left”, instead of the word, “located”, as far as his vehicle, could clear up any confusion whether he is on foot from the Whitethorn PO, or he drove away from there in his vehicle, and subsequently went missing…
“In other words”,
The ambiguity between the connotations of, “located” (“put there”), vs, “located” (“found there”), is causing a bit of unnecessary uncertainty…
Am I the only one that it is throwing off and or is uncertain as far as whether or not the missing gentleman is on foot, or, was at least for a time, behind the wheel of his vehicle, after being dropped off at the post office…???
Like, I said, upon closer overall inspection of the article, it seems like he is missing, ALONG WITH HIS VEHICLE, and his vehicle, HAS NOT, actually, BEEN “LOCATED” at the Whitethorn Post Office…
(Just trying to help clarify that for the readers…)
Thanks, Kym, for getting the word out…
Bottom Line…
Has his vehicle been “found”, or not…???
That is somewhat unclear…???
I don’t think 9 paragraphs to explain one sentence will help anybody.
I’m assuming most people just wouldn’t read that amount of words with that amount of punctuation.
But maybe I’m a weirdo…
That’s funny, because what I AM thinking, is to check the bypass switchback between upper Toth Road and Chemise Mountain Road, just in case it hasn’t been checked yet…
And maybe one bad spot above just above the general store, where I helped recover the body of a different accident victim…
But maybe that’s because I often try and help, and actually go looking for missing people…
You might be surprised at the lengths that I have gone to…
I was actually personally independently searching very near to where, at the same time, a missing person was “located” deceased, and recovered, at shelter cove years ago…
I was independently on the right track, and very close, but Diana Totten is the one that found the person…
The location was very steep and somewhat remote…
Coincidentally, it was up a side tributary of Dead Man’s Creek…
I was part way up the creek, when I turned back…
Even as close as I was, I don’t think I ever would have. I had actually just second guessed myself, and turned back, just a little while before the recovery team and I inadvertantly crossed paths…
You should have seen the look on Tim’s face…
I’ll never forget it…
(Thanks Diana)
I had no idea that there were other searchers in the immediate area at the time, and they didn’t know that I was searching, then, either…
By the way, back then, I was responding to public pleas for assistance in finding the person…
It wasn’t the first time, I drove all the way to shelter cove and looked for that victim, all the way to No Pass, looking for clues…
I did see a Golden Eagle between Dead Man’s Creek and Point No Pass…
(A sign)
See ya around, you glimmering example of consideration and humanity…
Or, not…
You should be easy to spot, you’ll be the one that is positively glowing, and glaring, at the same time…
Your negative opinion of my efforts matters to me not a whit…
Join the crowd…
I’m not trying to win a popularity contest…
I’m the longshot, and will never stand a chance…
Dontcha know, good deeds never go unpunished…???
You are obviously still in the running, with your one upvote…
Congratulations…
⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️
How to make scrambled eggs out of English language.
“Driver asks, What’s the location of your vehicle? It’s located at the post office…so driver took him to where his vehicle was located”….whats so difficult about that?
YOU ARMCHAIR DETECTIVES AND GRAMMAR POLICE REALLY CRACK ME UP. THE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD KNOW, DO KNOW.
DO YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST CONNECTION WITH MR. TAYLOR? DO YOU LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE VICINITY? COULD YOU VOLUNTEER IN A SEARCH & RESCUE OPERATION? ARE VOLUNTEERS EVEN NEEDED?
(Awaiting the down votes but could care less about them.)
Hey Guesto, it’s ok. It’s called brain storming. What neighbors do when somebody goes missing. It can be very effective in solving problems like this.
Noble thought but I’m not reading any brainstorming here. Just folks who don’t know what county Whale Gulch is in or are rewriting the article. Perhaps the latter would like to get jobs “properly” reporting the news. How many do you think are truly neighbors?
Thank you.
The comments are incredibly stupid.
Yes, yes, yes, and, I’d say, yes…
Now, would you be so kind as to answer your own questions…???
(Mr.Taylor was very involved with the Southern Humboldt Little League, and the Whitethorn Pirates, back in the day, coaching maybe, but definitely umpiring…)
(My memory is a bit fuzzy, but it HAS been a few decades…)
Maybe I’ll see you out looking…???
Did the hospital call in a prescription for Taylor to pick up?
Kym,
A vehicle description in a missing persons report, would be superfluous, wouldn’t it, if the vehicle had/has already been “found”/”located”…???
Since a vehicle description IS included in the missing persons report, that is why I presume that the vehicle has NOT yet been “located” as in “found” at the Post Office, as is/has been, confusingly suggested…
Only that it had been previously “located” there, as in intentionally, “left there”/”placed there”/”parked there”, by the missing man, on his way to the hospital, where he met his friend, who drove him the rest of the way to the hospital, and then brought him back to his vehicle from the hospital, after an unreported number of days…
I certainly could be misunderstanding it…
But, if it had/has been “found”, there would be no question if it was a two door, or whether it was a four door, and a vehicle description would not be even necessary to disseminate, if it had already been “located” as in “already found”, would it…???
Therefore, the man, AND his vehicle, must likely BOTH still be missing, and it’s likely that NEITHER, have/ has, been “located”, as in, have already been “found”…
I mean, should we still be keeping an eye out for his vehicle, or not…???
Please forgive me if I am being overly fastidious…
(I’m going to assume that we should still be keeping an eye out for his vehicle, just to be on the safe side…)
OK interesting discussion regarding ‘located’, maybe, “where he had parked his vehicle. Much more IMPORTANT is if anyone knows which route he typically take home, Chemise Mt. Rd. or through Whitethorne, Gopherville and Four Corners. This information, if available, would help focus a search. Lots of places a vehicle could disappear off the side of the road.
It’s a longshot, but he may have even had reason to go on towards the Cove, to the General Store to get fuel and/or beyond, for some other reason…
If he did opt to go from the Whitethorn Post Office, to the Shelter Cove General Store, to get fuel, or for whatever reason, he may have also opted to go back to the Gulch by way of Chemise Mountain Road, instead of going all the way back to Whitethorn Junction, first…
If he didn’t need fuel or anything from the general store, then he may have gone back to the Gulch from the Whitethorn Post office, by way of Whitethorn Junction, and Whitethorn proper, if back to to the Gulch was where he was headed from when he left there…
Time of day or night he was dropped off at the PO might have made a difference…
Praying that this gentleman is found soon & that he’s safe.
There is mention that he was last seen at the Shelter Cove General Store, after being dropped off at the post office.
Kym, can you verify and also, ask what he bought there.. to gain insight to where he was going?
He has had episodes of passing out. Need to look over the banks of the Shelter Cove Road, Chemise/Usal Road and Yellowdirt.
I hope to have an update tomorrow with more information. It hasn’t yet been positively confirmed Mr. Taylor was at the store. Hopefully, tomorrow morning we’ll get out better information.
Has a “SILVER ? ALERT” been broadcasted on our cell phones? I haven’t received one in Redway. ? Staying miracle minded for a safe & speedy return. ??
A friend and I drove the entire area today. redway to cove and Chemise to whitethorn. We located two vehicles off the rd.but not his. Hope he is found, that is some rugged terrain.
Thank you for doing that.
Someone needs to travel roads to his home from post office. Look for any tire marks…..or disturbed dirt on sides of road….broken bushes or trees alongside roads….and if found check area.
I did. There is no sign of an accident but there are multiple spots someone can drive off without leaving any sign. I checked as well as I could, but its completely possible to miss something. I didn’t see anyone else out there. No police or other locals.
You are totally awesome. Thanks for being a great person, taking the time to try to find him
That is an excellent idea. The more people out looking should increase his chances of being found. I pray he has not perished.
Why isn’t there a more extensive search underway for this poor man? Where is his family? No elderly person of his age should have to make these drives alone. It’s truly heartbreaking, and unfortunately, I see so many elderly individuals alone. In my family, the younger generations take care of their elders, just as the elders took care of them when they were young. I hope he is found safe, happy, and as healthy as possible for his age. Getting old certainly isn’t easy.
IMHO: Elderly. Lived alone. There may not be much ‘family’ left alive or able to search.
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Some people have driven the ‘normal’ roads in that area.
Looked off the sides of the road… sounds like they found some old ‘trimmer cars’ dumped.
So far, they have not seen his car.
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Dunno what the hospital visit was about… but he may have had ‘bad medical news’.
He may have headed off… ‘in a different direction’.
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>”Getting old certainly isn’t easy.”
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That is true.
I’m the same as you, when it comes to taking care of the elders. But prying their car keys away from them isn’t fun. That’s my family anyway. Very stubborn bunch of car freaks. Me too, I suppose, when the time comes. I of course also hope the best for Mr. Taylor. He looks like a very nice guy.
+ Dave has been a vehicle mechanic for many many years! His life’s work.
Jodie = Dave is the last of four brothers. His twin lived on same property but died a while ago. The neighbors + WGVFD have been looking. Dave was much a recluse for many years now. Folks are doing what they can.
Check the roof of Orthanc tower, Moria, Mirkwood?
Lord time is running out to find Mr. Taylor. With all the bad weather we have had it is critical that he is located before he perishes. I pray he is found soon, but my hopes along with many of the other searchers is starting to dim. Sending prayers and good hopes to his family and friends. We love you Dave.
I hope he is found soon.