Another Dutch Hunter Crosses Over

Springfield

Silver Member
Apr 19, 2003
2,850
1,381
New Mexico
Detector(s) used
BS
[h=2]April 20, 2013[/h][h=3]AZ: Body of Missing Lost Dutchman Hiker Possibly Found by Superstition Search and Rescue[/h]By Monica Alonzo photos by robert Cooper
Members of the Superstition Search and Rescue have discovered what they suspect is the body of a hiker missing since Monday.
Crews from the Pinal County Sheriff's Office responded to Lost Dutchman State Park on Monday night -- four days ago -- after receiving a call of an overdue hiker, PCSO spokeswoman Tamra Ingersoll told the Arizona Republic on Wednesday.
Ingersoll told the Republic that Christopher Hensley, 34, was last seen Monday afternoon when he set out for a hike through the state park. She also said on Wednesday that the sheriff's search crews had been searching for more than 45 hours but found no sign of Hensley.
SSAR members are just now coming down the mountain after making their discovery and reporting it to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
New Times spoke with Robert Cooper, head of the SSAR, as he sat on a rock in the canyon waiting for law enforcement officials to arrive and debrief him about his team's find.
Cooper tells us the body fits the description of the missing man, but no positive identification has been made by law enforcement officials.
Cooper says he received a call last night from the wife of the missing man, asking for his team's assistance. He went to her home and got a print from her husband's shoe.
The team's success would depend on tried-and-true tracking.
Last night, after Cooper left the wife's home, he went to the park's fence line, searched the footprints on the ground and says he was able to determine where the hiker apparently entered the park.
About 8:30 a.m. today, 11 SSAR members hiked into the canyon and ascended the steep cliffs.
They found a body in less than three hours.

"We can't just come out unless we're asked," Cooper explains about his team's involvement. "Our team is no longer part of the PCSO search-and-rescue team. We're a private nonprofit organization."

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu started his own search-and-rescue team, effectively booting SSAR for not wanting to disband and work under the sheriff's command.
"We figured out where he entered and followed his prints into the canyon," Cooper says.
Crews from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Pima County had also been assisting in the search.
Cooper says it the body of the man is at the base of a 200-foot cliff, and while it appears that he fell, it's unclear from what point on the face of the Flat Iron cliff the man fell.


 

FEMF

Full Member
Sep 10, 2009
158
86
April 20, 2013

AZ: Body of Missing Lost Dutchman Hiker Possibly Found by Superstition Search and Rescue

By Monica Alonzo photos by robert Cooper
Members of the Superstition Search and Rescue have discovered what they suspect is the body of a hiker missing since Monday.
Crews from the Pinal County Sheriff's Office responded to Lost Dutchman State Park on Monday night -- four days ago -- after receiving a call of an overdue hiker, PCSO spokeswoman Tamra Ingersoll told the Arizona Republic on Wednesday.
Ingersoll told the Republic that Christopher Hensley, 34, was last seen Monday afternoon when he set out for a hike through the state park. She also said on Wednesday that the sheriff's search crews had been searching for more than 45 hours but found no sign of Hensley.
SSAR members are just now coming down the mountain after making their discovery and reporting it to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
New Times spoke with Robert Cooper, head of the SSAR, as he sat on a rock in the canyon waiting for law enforcement officials to arrive and debrief him about his team's find.
Cooper tells us the body fits the description of the missing man, but no positive identification has been made by law enforcement officials.
Cooper says he received a call last night from the wife of the missing man, asking for his team's assistance. He went to her home and got a print from her husband's shoe.
The team's success would depend on tried-and-true tracking.
Last night, after Cooper left the wife's home, he went to the park's fence line, searched the footprints on the ground and says he was able to determine where the hiker apparently entered the park.
About 8:30 a.m. today, 11 SSAR members hiked into the canyon and ascended the steep cliffs.
They found a body in less than three hours.

"We can't just come out unless we're asked," Cooper explains about his team's involvement. "Our team is no longer part of the PCSO search-and-rescue team. We're a private nonprofit organization."

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu started his own search-and-rescue team, effectively booting SSAR for not wanting to disband and work under the sheriff's command.
"We figured out where he entered and followed his prints into the canyon," Cooper says.
Crews from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Pima County had also been assisting in the search.
Cooper says it the body of the man is at the base of a 200-foot cliff, and while it appears that he fell, it's unclear from what point on the face of the Flat Iron cliff the man fell.



Springfield, Thank's to the SSAR crew for all there efforts for this poor man's wife and family, and for all of us in central Arizona. Take care, be safe.
FEMF
 

Last edited:

Metro Retro

Full Member
Apr 8, 2013
237
122
New York
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A beautiful tribute to a wonderful man -- he will always be with you, and watches over you. Heartfelt condolences and all good thoughts to you and your family.
 

Dirty Dutchman

Sr. Member
Dec 27, 2010
324
71
Arizona
Detector(s) used
My Brain
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Condolences to the family. Be careful out there guys, it's a rough place with no mercy.

Travis
 

OP
OP
cactusjumper

cactusjumper

Gold Member
Dec 10, 2005
7,754
5,388
Arizona
I believe this is our Ken:

CHICHESTER, Kenneth Arnold, 71, of Scottsdale died on September 27, 2012 in Scottsdale. Angels Cremation And Burial handled arrangements. 480 962-6435

I last heard from him six days before this obituary.

Ken was one of the really good guys. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ken and his family.

Joe & Carolyn Ribaudo
 

Oroblanco

Gold Member
Jan 21, 2005
7,837
9,813
DAKOTA TERRITORY
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Lobo Supertraq, (95%) Garrett Scorpion (5%)
All I can say is that you have put it the best way. Dustcap was indeed one of the good guys, sad news and so sorry that we did not find out sooner.
Roy
 

mrs.oroblanco

Silver Member
Jan 2, 2008
4,356
427
Black Hills of South Dakota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Lobo & Garrett Stinger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ken(Dustcap)plays Sergeant Schultz.jpg Godspeed.
 

Cubfan64

Silver Member
Feb 13, 2006
2,982
2,775
New Hampshire - USA
Detector(s) used
Fisher CZ21, Teknetics T2 & Minelab Sovereign GT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Damn - I'm really sorry to hear that, but I feared the worst when he wasn't at the last two Rendezvous. He always had a big smile on his face and you could tell he loved coming out there and pitching in to make it a fun experience. He always had his camera in hand and despite not being in the best shape, gave it his best to get out there with us on hikes.

Two instances I'll always remember about Ken...

1) One of the first Rendezvous I attended, Randy wanted to take me up from the Peralta Trailhead to see where some digging had been taking place in a real reddish colored dirt. Ken overheard and wanted to come along too. Randy told us it was "just a little ways up the trail."

We headed out before supper started in the early evening from the Don's Camp and as we headed out from the Peralta Trailhead Ken was falling behind and doing a lot of huffing and puffing. About that point I realized that Randy's "just a little ways up the trail" was probably a relative thing because he was in much better shape then either Ken or I, and he also had more than a few years on us as well.

Eventually we ended up going about 2/3 of the way up cardiac hill and then off through some brush to get to the diggings. Ken was pretty well behind by then, but man he had tenacity. Randy and I were afraid he was gonna have a heartattack by the time he got up there and I think silently he was probably cursing joining us, but he didn't quit!

2) One of the other years, Wayne took a group of us out to see if we could find the gravesite for the soldier in Bark's Basin and Ken wanted to come along as well. Some of us piled into Wayne's well worn vehicle while Ken agreed to take the others in his wife's car. We got to the QCU and then Wayne led the way through what was probably once a road, but now was mostly just an overgrown trail. We kept looking in the rearview mirror watching Ken dodging the branches and brush as much as possible, but we knew his car was really taking a beating. Once again Ken never gave up - he followed us all the way through that crap to where we parked to walk, and man oh man, I bet he got his butt handed to him by his wife when he got home cause the sides of her car were scratched all to hell, but despite that Ken still had a smile on his face and laughed it off.

I'll miss Ken - in fact I already missed him the last 2 times I was there. He just had that personality and demeanor that was fun to be around. So sorry that we found out so late as I would have liked to pay my respects to his wife.

Bye Ken, and maybe if you get a chance, pop into one of my dreams and leave me a clue to the Dutchman Mine cause you know where it is now :).

Paul
 

OP
OP
cactusjumper

cactusjumper

Gold Member
Dec 10, 2005
7,754
5,388
Arizona
Paul,

I received this Email from Ken on Sept. 11, 2012. I don't think he would mind my sharing it:
____________________________________________
Dear Joe (& Carolyn)


It is with a heavy heart that I got this email telling me of your wish to discontinue hosting the Rendezvous this year.


I went all out financially last year to match what I can only assume what it might have cost you, and to pony up with a share of the responsibilities to reduce the burden on you and your gracious wife.


My wife still thinks it's 'pie in the sky' and if it's real why hasn't one of those thousands of seekers not done so already? Implying of course they must be smarter than me.


My own search and research, 'single-handledly' weighed heavily on my mind but with my nearly 15 years of research through the clues and the clearly misleading clues. Every time I decided to take someone into my confidence enough to share what I knew then took on the task of convincing them of the same arguments raised by my own family.


At one time I decided to take some offered assistance from two Phoenix Police detectives just to give me backup as for bodily harm protection from the dangers that exist. I felt it a sense of duty to fully inform them of what all that may encompass. This information along with the news of four more missing seekers prompted an immediate withdrawal of their services. This was not that all sad news to me as by this time they were getting around to thinking of themselves as equal partners in any treasure to be uncovered. All I wanted was for one to sit in camp and the other to watch my back on the 'trail'. How many guys does it take to keep every one honest? Then there is the chance of risking one's life in a death trap. How long would it take to bring everyone up to speed on desert dangers, etc.


I took my older brother with me on my last trip and after the first day out on the trail we were made aware of a mountain lion (or two) tracks over our own on the trail and scat by our tent when we got back to camp, a close encounter with a four foot Mojave Rattlesnake of which I took a couple of nice photographs, scorpions and brown widow spiders. While sitting around the campfire that night I voiced my concern about him shooting the snake with me between them, he let me know he wasn't carrying the .357 I had loaned him "because it was too heavy so he left it with his gear back in camp."


I was more than willing to take him back out of the mountains when he also informed me that his doctor had told him to get some exercise after his hip surgery about a month ago and he thought this would be a great way to do it.


The final statement he made was clincher... "I don't think I want to endager my life in 'this" quest for gold.


Having slipped into failing health, the Rendezvous has become my main source of keeping abreast with the purpose of the event in the first place. It gave me and many like me a chance to put names, real or otherwise, to faces of those interested in this kindred belief that the Dutchman and the surrounding ledgend was real its entirely possible that someone will solve the actual location of a very rich source of gold ore just waiting for the fantastic opportunity of being able to prove it.


I had intended to do better this year.


On the last Saturday of July this year I took what money I had saved to buy a Jeep to make the trip to the Rendezvous in and hit a further snag. It seems that due to our all knowing gov't in their infinite wisdom had issued a cash for clunkers program that resulted in providing virtually no (NO, NONE, NADA) used cars for resale, except for Jeeps. That means their resale value was/is almost the same as a new vehicle. So I opted to purchase a large pickup truck. So I could haul my 6x6 Polaris ATV in the bed. I opted for a Ford F150 4x4 long bed. They tell me a toy hauler will cost about $500 for a weekend so am looking into buying a camper top.


I had my usual doctor chest scan checkup on Tuesday July 31. I have been having one of these scans every 3 to 4 months since I lost my left kidney to cancer in Nov 2008 and always with negative results.


I went in to see my boss at H&R Block the following day to set up my work availability and let her know about my new truck and plans to get the gold this year. HAPPY..YEA


The very next day my doctor informed me that the cancer had returned and was imopperable as i had matasizised to many areas but the good news was there are now nine new cheymo drugs that seem to work just fine. The bad news is that because of all the drugs I am now taking, I am not allowed to drive so the new truck has been sitting in my driveway for about six weeks.
___________________________

We will all miss you Ken.

Take care,

Joe & Carolyn

 

Cubfan64

Silver Member
Feb 13, 2006
2,982
2,775
New Hampshire - USA
Detector(s) used
Fisher CZ21, Teknetics T2 & Minelab Sovereign GT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Maybe it's just because I'm another year older - I don't know, but for some reason I feel really badly about Ken's passing. Makes me wish I had made time to join up with him to see his area of interest when he asked - seems there are always so many things to do and there's "always another time" to do them... until of course there isn't "another time" left because someone has passed away.

I'm so sorry Ken
 

mrs.oroblanco

Silver Member
Jan 2, 2008
4,356
427
Black Hills of South Dakota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Lobo & Garrett Stinger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you for posting that, Joe. I remember well , that day at the Rendezvous, when Ken came driving in with that big truck full of goodies for everyone at the Rendezvous. We will all miss him - I can only pray that the short time between that email and his final day, shows that he went softly, without months of suffering.

Mrs.O
 

Thomas969

Newbie
Dec 6, 2014
4
14
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Len Killen died yesterday morning in a Mesa hospital. Len was a gregarious, yet very private person. He never came to a Rendezvous. Most will never have known him (except perhaps in mentions in my first book)—their loss. For those of us who did know him, it is our loss.

He was only 67. He ended up in the emergency room and they worked heroically on him, but they could not undo what he had endured the previous months. It seems the condition that led to his death was essentially many weeks of medical incompetence and abuse at the hands of "medical professionals". He deserved better. He was a rare person. The best partner a man could have in the mountains or out. Intelligent, fantastic sense of humor and the most observant person in the mountains I have ever seen. And considering that I knew and rode in the mountains with Monte Edwards that is genuine compliment.

This will not be a maudlin tribute. For if I get maudlin I will break-up. I miss him dearly, and I know I will never know another like him, nor will I ever enjoy the mountains again as much as I once did. I am very happy that in my two new books – already written – I have stories about and tell of Len and to some extent his/our former partner, Tom Burnett.

To have walked the mountains with those two was a rare privilege. When Scott – Len’s stepson joined us – it was fantastic. And the trip with Len, and Scott and Clay was one I don’t think any of us will ever forget. I know there are those who feel the only success of hunting the Dutchman is to find gold. I feel sorry for them. For hunting the Dutchman can enrich one’s life in so many ways. If I had never hunted the mine my life would have been much less rich…I would never have known Tom and Len. I would never have known Bob Crandall, Monte Edwards, Al Reser…all have crossed over. And several more of us are on the way. When this generation of Dutch Hunters is gone I wonder what will happen.

Adios Len. The good Lord truly broke the mold when he made you. You are missed! To soon gone. Never to be replaced.

Thomas Glover
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
cactusjumper

cactusjumper

Gold Member
Dec 10, 2005
7,754
5,388
Arizona
Thomas,

Sorry to hear of your loss. Good friends are the real treasures in our lives.

Take care,

Joe
 

coazon de oro

Bronze Member
May 7, 2010
1,622
3,849
texas
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Mr. Glover,

My condolences to all of Ken's family, and friends. Real friends are hard to come by, you are fortunate to have known him.

Homar
 

gollum

Gold Member
Jan 2, 2006
6,729
7,591
Arizona Vagrant
Detector(s) used
Minelab SD2200D (Modded)/ Whites GMT 24k / Fisher FX-3 / Fisher Gold Bug II / Fisher Gemini / Schiebel MIMID / Falcon MD-20
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My condolences as well. I remember reading about him in your The Golden Dream Book. Sounded like a real character. I would have liked to have known him.

Mike
 

Cubfan64

Silver Member
Feb 13, 2006
2,982
2,775
New Hampshire - USA
Detector(s) used
Fisher CZ21, Teknetics T2 & Minelab Sovereign GT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Very sorry to hear that Thomas as I remember reading about him as well as hearing you talk about him a bit at past events. I'm glad you have more stories to tell about him in your next books. I like to think all those folks who've spent any time looking for the LDM get together on a regular basis after they've passed on and look down on those of us still here chuckling now that they know all the secrets. Again - sorry to hear
 

Oroblanco

Gold Member
Jan 21, 2005
7,837
9,813
DAKOTA TERRITORY
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Lobo Supertraq, (95%) Garrett Scorpion (5%)
Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend Thomas, thank you for letting us know. True friends are hard to find, and harder to lose.
 

somehiker

Silver Member
May 1, 2007
4,365
6,423
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A well written and heartfelt eulogy,Thomas.
Sorry for the loss of your friend and another enthusiast.

Regards:SH.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top