“Locating the body of a missing person can be hard on first responders, but they know their work is important to a missing person’s family in that answers can be provided and the family can the opportunity to conduct a proper goodbye. We are grateful for the work by rangers and deputies to find this man, check on his condition, and retrieve his body.”
– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
MENDOCINO COUNTY – On May 17, 2024 at approximately 10:46 a.m., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputies were summoned to assist California State Parks rangers in attempting to locate a reported missing person in the area of the Jug Handle State Park south of Fort Bragg. State Parks rangers located a vehicle in the parking lot of Jug Handle State Park that was reportedly parked at the location for several days. The vehicle registration returned to Gregory Noyes, 76, of Point Arena. Noyes had been reported missing on May 15th. He had not been heard from since May 12th when he was reportedly traveling to Marin County.
Rangers and deputies conducted a search of Jug Handle State Park and quickly located a large-brimmed hat resting on the cliff edge where the park reaches the Pacific Ocean. The body of a white male adult was located on rocks approximately 50 feet below the cliff’s edge. Rangers and deputies traversed down the cliff to the subject who was immediately determined to be deceased. The deceased subject was identified by Sheriff’s Office deputies as Gregory Noyes based on photographs and Noyes’ California Driver License. Noyes appeared to have sustained several severe injuries from falling down the cliff to the rocks where he was located. Sheriff’s Office deputies made contact with Noyes’ legal next-of-kin.
During the coroner’s investigation, investigating deputies determined that Noyes’ fall may have been accidental, and no evidence of foul play was noted.
