LA PAZ COUNTY, Ariz. — The California Highway Patrol says an investigation is underway after a missing woman died waiting for help in an Arizona desert following a crash despite providing a 911 operator with her GPS coordinates.
CHP units spent around five hours searching for Amanda Nenigar after she reported her crash on Feb. 27, CHP said in a statement released on April 8.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Agentes de California pasaron 5 horas buscando a Amanda Nenigar después de su accidente y su llamada al 911 pidiendo ayuda
Nenigar's body would later be found on March 29 in La Paz County, Arizona after she was reported missing from California by her family a month earlier on Feb. 28.
Nenigar called 911 following a crash. She told the operators she fell asleep while driving. Nenigar was unsure which road she was traveling on or which city she was in.
She also was confused about how long she had been out there.
The 911 operator Nenigar spoke to instructed her on how to find her GPS coordinates in Google Maps, which he said placed her in Blythe, California, a town on Interstate 10 just west of the California-Arizona border.
In the statement from CHP on April 8, the agency said CHP units from Winterhaven and Blythe were sent to search for Nenigar. The units were unable to find her, according to CHP.
The CHP's Border Division was also called in after Nenigar could not be located.
"When efforts to locate her on the ground were unsuccessful, Border Division deployed a plane to search for the victim," CHP said.
In all, units searched for Nenigar from 9:40 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, and then efforts to find the missing woman were "concluded" according to CHP.
"Unfortunately, she was not located that day," CHP said. "She was found deceased a month later in Arizona."
Here is the full statement from CHP:
On Feb. 27, 2024, at approximately 8:23 a.m., the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) El Centro Dispatch Center received a 9-1-1 call from a woman advising she had been involved in a crash. Over the next hour, the dispatcher who intercepted the initial call attempted to work with the caller to determine her location, so that an officer could respond to the scene. It was determined the caller’s name was Amanda Nenigar.
Although Ms. Nenigar’s location was unclear, at 9:40 a.m. CHP units from the Winterhaven Area and Blythe Area were dispatched to search for her in their respective areas. When efforts to locate her on the ground were unsuccessful, Border Division deployed a plane to search for the victim. At approximately, 2:30 p.m., search efforts concluded after personnel were unable to locate Ms. Nenigar.
Unfortunately, she was not located that day. She was found deceased a month later in Arizona. An investigation into the facts and circumstances of Ms. Nenigar’s death is being conducted and further inquiries should be directed to the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department.
As 12News previously reported, Gray Hughes, a true crime YouTuber, said the operator Nenigar spoke to likely made a fatal flaw, writing down the coordinates in decimal degrees rather than degrees, minutes and seconds.
“She gave out her GPS coordinates. He came up with something 16 miles away over by Highway 95," Hughes said.
Two weeks after Nenigar's call to 911, her car was found in a remote area of La Paz County, Arizona south of the town of Cibola.
That's when La Paz County Sheriff William Ponce told 12News his department became involved, searching by ground and air for Nenigar.
“Where she was located is remote desert, mountainous terrain, no paved roads or anything of that nature," Ponce said.
Those who helped find Nenigar said they believe all the clues were there from the start, and the coordinate mishap could have cost Nenigar her life.
The Nenigar family created a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral expenses. Anyone who would like to donate can click here.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
