The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is seeking public assistance in locating Jean Marie Etherton, a 63-year-old resident of Eureka. Etherton was reported missing by her family on Sunday, September 8, at approximately 7 a.m.
Etherton is believed to have left her residence on the 6000 block of Walnut Dr., Cutten, during the early morning hours of September 8. According to her family, she may be experiencing a mental health crisis and could be in the wooded area near their home. They also noted that she had walked away from home once last week and was found in the McKay Tract. At the time of her disappearance, Etherton was wearing leopard print leggings, pastel pink and purple slippers, and possibly a pastel tie-dyed hoodie.
“We are asking our community to please be on the lookout for Etherton in the Cutten and Elk River areas as well as the McKay Tract Community Forest,” stated a representative from the Sheriff’s Office. The public is also urged to avoid the wooded area north of Ridgewood Dr. and south of Lundbar Hills due to ongoing Search and Rescue (SAR) K-9 tracking efforts.
The Sheriff’s Office is coordinating an extensive SAR operation involving deputies searching trails on ATVs, on foot, and with thermal drones. Public roadways are also being monitored. The U.S. Coast Guard has been called in for aerial searches, while volunteers from the California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA) and Humboldt County Sheriff SAR are assisting with ground efforts.
Anyone with information regarding Jean Etherton’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.
Jean Marie Etherton | Photo provided by family
