Huntington Beach woman and dog missing in Inyo National Forest; search underway

Crews searched Saturday for a Huntington Beach woman and her dog who went missing one day earlier near an Inyo National Forest campground, authorities said.

Sheryl Powell, 60, of Huntington Beach, was last seen Friday afternoon near the Grandview Campground, a half-hour drive north of the community of Big Pine in the Sierra Nevada mountains, northeast of Fresno.

At about 2 p.m. on Friday, Powell, who was also with her husband, had just arrived at the campground when she left their Jeep to take their dog to relieve itself, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. Her husband stayed behind to re-position their Jeep.

After parking the vehicle, Powell’s husband could not find Powell or their small, 5-pound black and white dog, the Sheriff’s Department said. He searched for almost an hour before calling authorities.

Search and rescue teams from Inyo County began their search for Powell and were accompanied by air support from the California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Naval Air Base in Lemoore.

Described as an experienced hiker, Powell is 5-feet 3-inches tall, 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She may be wearing a purple top, while the small dog has a red leash.

After searching into Friday evening and throughout Saturday, crews wrapped up their search at about 9 p.m., authorities said. The search was set to  resume Sunday at 6 a.m.