In July 1996, four-year-old Max Meyer, a German tourist, vanished in Death Valley, Inyo County, California, along with his mother, Cornelia Meyer, her boyfriend, Egbert Rimkus, and Rimkus's ten-year-old son, Georg Weber. The group was on vacation from Germany and their disappearance sparked a search and investigation that would span over a decade.
The family was last seen on July 22, 1996, when they purchased an informational booklet at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley. A day later, they left an entry in a guest book at an abandoned mining camp in the Panamint Mountains that read, "7-23-96. Conny Egbert Georg Max. We are going through the pass." It is believed they were attempting to cross Mengel Pass. However, their rented Plymouth Voyager minivan was later found abandoned and stuck in the sand in the remote and closed-off Anvil Spring Canyon on October 26, 1996, by a park ranger on an aerial surveillance mission. The vehicle had three flat tires, and crucial items such as their passports, wallets, and airline tickets were missing.
The initial search for the missing family was called off on October 26, 1996. Despite numerous searches by both authorities and private parties over the years, no trace of the family was found. The harsh desert environment, with temperatures soaring to 124 degrees around the time of their disappearance, made survival unlikely without an adequate water supply. A significant breakthrough in the case came in November 2009 when hikers discovered skeletal remains in a remote area of the desert.
In June 2010, the male remains were identified as belonging to Egbert Rimkus. The female remains found nearby are presumed to be those of Cornelia Meyer, though a definitive DNA identification was not possible due to the condition of the bones. The remains of Max Meyer and Georg Weber have never been located, and they are presumed to have succumbed to the extreme conditions of the desert. The tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of Death Valley for those who are unprepared for its challenges.
Last Seen: Jul 22, 1996
