Search for missing C.V. woman called off
By CLARISSA ALJENTERA
claljentera@montereyherald.com
Investigators have called off the search for a Carmel Valley woman who
likely was swept out to sea in Wednesday's high surf.
Dawn Ziegler, 38, went for a walk with her two dogs Wednesday at
Garrapata State Beach and didn't return. Family members worried when
they hadn't heard from her and went looking for clues. Her father
found her truck parked along the beach Friday morning and alerted
authorities.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office rescue team searched the beach
area along with a Coast Guard helicopter but failed to find Ziegler on
Friday. However, the Sheriff's Office found her coat and one of her
two Australian shepherds near the truck, which was parked near Highway
1 south of Otter Cove.
"It looks like she had an ocean cliff accident," said a
family member at her mother's house in Watsonville who didn't want to
be identified.
Ziegler was last seen Wednesday by John Creighton, in whose home she
lives in exchange for caring for him and doing chores. He said he saw
her that afternoon before she took off running with her dogs.
"She had the afternoon off," Creighton said. "She would
take the dogs to the beach some place down the coast."
Creighton said Ziegler's family suspected she might have gone too
close to the water while chasing after the dogs, one of whom was a
search and rescue dog.
Creighton said he didn't realize she was missing until a friend called
and said she hadn't shown up for work at McGraw-Hill on Thursday or
Friday.
Ziegler's mother, Elaine, also works at McGraw-Hill, Creighton said,
and became concerned when she hadn't seen her daughter at work.
Ziegler helped create standardized tests, according to a co-worker who
didn't want to give her name.
Creighton said her father came by the house early Friday to look for
clues and found her purse. He called the Department of Motor Vehicles
to get her license plate number, then drove down the coast and found
her truck.
After the search proved fruitless, Creighton said, "The family
called and they said they'd given up."
Sheriff's officials said unless new clues turned up, the search would
not resume.
I need to be the bearer of sad news,
one of our Heros has taken
her final journey.
Dawn, went home from work early last Wednesday (12-10-03). When she
didn't go into work on the following day, her boss called Elaine (Dawn
and Elaine work at the same place) but said she wasn't sure if Dawn
had
said she was taking the day off. So, no one thought anything about it.
We
called
and left a message on her cell phone. On Friday she still wasn't at
work
and hadn't answered our
calls. So, I went out looking for her. And we also notified the
sheriff.
I drove to her home and
talked to her roommate, who hadn't seen her since Wednesday. He is 85
and
a wheelchair rider. He
said she had left to run her dogs at the beach Wednesday afternoon.
She usually went to Carmel Beach or south towards Garrapata Beach. I
chose to drive south and about 6 miles south of Carmel, I found Dawn's pickup.
She went there many times with the dogs, to sit on the cliff and watch
the ocean, write
some, and
listen to tapes. This day was not to be as the others. Some time after
sitting for awhile,it would
seem the her youngest dog, Strider, got in trouble and went into the
ocean. Dawn jumped up, tore the
headphones from her ears, dropped her notebook into a crack between
two
rocks, yelled at her other
dog, Arrow, to stay, and went to save Strider. The ocean was very
angry
that day... 20 to 30 foot
waves and this was not a soft sandy beach, but a rugged part of the
California Coast
(again, a place she loved dearly).
They never returned.
I found all these signs and Arrow was laying on the rocks a few feet
from
the water,
waiting for his
mom and brother to come back from their swim. He waited and barked for
2
days and nights,
til I found him. He is with us now. But Dawn and Strider are not. Oh
yes,
they are in our hearts and will be forever.
Late Saturday on November 1, 2003, our good
friend Danny Potter passed away. Danny was a warm man and a faithful
benefactor of Celtic music throughout the South. His involvement in
area Celtic music projects was far deeper than we can give him credit,
including bringing Seven Nations and the Tannahill Weavers to our area
on occasion - but Danny also was very involved in charitable work and
historical preservation through the Watauga Historical Society. An
enduring legacy of his hard work has been the continuation of the
Jonesborough - Sycamore Shoals Celtic Festival. We're thankful that
Danny got to see this year's event in good health, and to enjoy the
most incredible line-up he'd ever put together for Sycamore Shoals.
We're thankful for the time we had with our friend. He is sorely
missed.
Born in Knoxville, Tenn., Danny obtained his master's degree at ETSU.
He worked at Greene Valley Development Center for 28 years. He was the
founder and coordinator of the Jonesborough Celtic Festival and the
Sycamore Shoals Celtic Festival.
He was a member of the Scottish American Military Society, Sons of
Confederate Veterans, Society for Creative Anachronism, MENSA, Clan
Colquhoun, Tennessee State Educators Association, American Civil
Liberties Union, National Arbor Day Foundation, National Eagle Scout
Association, St. John's Episcopal Church, 78th Frasier's Highlanders,
St. Andrews Society, Clanna-n-Alba, Kingdom Raknar, Bird Clan of the
Free Cherokee of Eastern Alabama, Celtic American Association of
Northeast Tennessee.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Jim and Josie Potter and
Gordon and Ethel Pack.
He is survived by his parents, Ray and Mary Potter, of Powell, Tenn.;
brothers, Tim and wife Mona of Elizabethton; Scott and wife Jozelle,
of Powell; sisters Gerry Williams and husband, Ray, of Corryton; Cathy
Price and husband, Bob, of Powell; nephews Jesse Potter, Jonathan
Potter and nieces Nikki Potter, Lyndsay and Raysha Williams, and many
very devoted and special friends. Memorial services are to be held at
3 p.m. on Sunday, November 9, 2003 at Millennium Convention Center,
Johnson City. The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday,
followed by the Celebration of Life. In lieu of flowers, donations can
be made to the American Diabetes Association, WETS Radio Station, or
the Boy Scouts of America. Snyder's Funeral Home, 5923 Kingsport
Highway, Gray, TN is in charge of arrangements.
