Lightning Halts Hunt for Lost Cyclist

The search for a 19-year-old college student lost in a remote canyon in Santa Clarita Valley last weekend was temporarily halted Tuesday because of lightning storms.

Blayne Marie St. John of Redondo Beach was first reported missing Sunday in a rugged region of Texas Canyon. She was last seen when she left her male companion, Dennis Welbur, 21, to get help after their motorcycles became stuck on the side of a steep cliff.

“We’re almost positive she’s out there,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Dick Verner. “She’s very athletic so her chances of surviving are very good due to her physical condition.”

Verner said St. John, who attends UC Irvine, is a goalie on the school’s soccer team, is engaged and comes from a close family. “Her mother, father and grandparents--we get calls from them about every 10 minutes,” Verner said.

St.John and Welbur had been camping in the canyon, designated for motorcycle and recreational vehicle use, with three other people, Verner said. The two decided to take a ride on a pair of motorcycles.

St. John had camped or ridden a motorcycle in the area about three times a month, Verner said. However, on the latest occasion, her motorcycle and Welbur’s became stuck in a rugged part of the steep canyon, the deputy said. “From what we understand, she’s been in Texas Canyon many, many times, but never in this area where their motorcycles were,” Verner said. “They just happened to go the wrong way.”

Welbur, who suffers from an undisclosed physical disability, stayed with the bikes while St. John headed for their campsite to get help, Verner said. She was last seen on Sunday about 1 p.m. At 5 p.m., Welbur was rescued by a group in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Deputies later found her footprints leading from the spot where the bikes became stuck to an area about 150 feet away, Verner said. Then they found signs that she had sat down to slide over a hilly area. After that, all signs vanished in a rocky region at the bottom of the hill, Verner said.

Searchers closed all but one of the gates leading out of the area and maintained that she could not have walked out of the canyon without someone seeing her, Verner said. Deputies were concerned that she may have suffered heat exhaustion in the 100-degree weather or that someone could have abducted her.

“She might have fainted or passed out and somebody’s got her in a vehicle,” Verner said.

Sheriff’s reserve officers, including some in helicopters, searched for St. John Sunday and Monday. About 10 members of the sheriff’s mountain rescue team combed the canyon area Tuesday, Verner said.

Searchers have already covered most of the 40-square-mile canyon area, Sheriff’s Sgt. Larry Jenks said. But a team of 30 was scheduled to continue the search Wednesday.

The Sheriff’s Department has issued a nationwide bulletin alerting anyone who may have seen St. John to call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (805) 255-1121.

She was described as 5-feet-3-inches tall and weighing 130 pounds. She has shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue-and-white leather motorcycle pants and motorcycle boots, deputies said.