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Help locate a missing person in the climbing community

Original Post
Joe De Luca · · yucca valley · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 127

This is not a joke. Dan Mills is an amazing and strong climber. He has some mental illness and needs medical attention. Please keep an eye out at any climbing locations in the southwest. I would not try to approach him, as he likely does not want to be located and this may cause him to flee. Please call number with the location he was last seen. Missing from Temecula, CA. His disappearance is not related to a climbing incident, he ran off.

Dan Mills

Joe De Luca · · yucca valley · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 127

Bump

Julie Ellison · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 0

Hi Joe,

Do you think it would help to post this on Climbing magazine's facebook or website? I'd be happy to put it up there, but only if you think it will help and not harm... please let me know!

Best,

Julie
--
Julie Ellison
Senior Editor // Climbing magazine
jellison@aimmedia.com

Joe De Luca · · yucca valley · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 127
Julie Ellison wrote:Hi Joe, Do you think it would help to post this on Climbing magazine's facebook or website? I'd be happy to put it up there, but only if you think it will help and not harm... please let me know! Best, Julie -- Julie Ellison Senior Editor // Climbing magazine jellison@aimmedia.com
Yes it think it would help thank you so much Julie, the more people who see it the better
Happiegrrrl · · Gunks · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 60

Way to step up Julie.

Suzanne Bonilla · · New City, New York · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 0

Hopefully this will end well.

mark felber · · Wheat Ridge, CO · Joined Jul 2005 · Points: 41

Joe,
supertopo.com would be another good place to post this message. Lots of California climbers frequent that site.

Best of luck in finding your friend.

Joe De Luca · · yucca valley · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 127

Thanks mark I will post over there too

newrivermike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 0

Hey Joe, this sounds like a tough situation. I've heard that Dan has had a troublesome past so I hope this turns out for the best. I'm sure it will.

I'm just curious about the legality of posting Dan as a missing person. He's in his late 20's now, which means he's legally an adult. One of the toughest parts of having loved ones that suffer from mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc... is that most of the time they're legally allowed to continue making poor decisions. Have his parents taken the difficult steps to gain extended custody? Was he committed to a mental health facility that he ran off from? If he's found despite "not wanting to be located," who will apprehend him? Is he wanted by the law?

I'm honestly just curious about the details. It's not often that adults are listed as runaways.

Joe De Luca · · yucca valley · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 127

Mike, thank you for your concern. Dan's parents have had custody of him for at least 5 years. He has been in and out of getting help but at the time he went missing he was not. He has been officially reported to the police department and is registered as a missing person. His dad asked that I get the word out that he is missing. Any information would be helpful. The contact number is actually Dan's dad's so more specific questions can be directed to him. As far as approaching him, he is not dangerous but flighty so if he knows people are looking for him, he may flee.

david doucette · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 25

hi joe,

do you know if he took any of his climbing equipment with him or camping gear? that would help in determining the possibility of spotting him at a crag or park in SoCal or in the Southwest.

thanks for posting this,

david

Joe De Luca · · yucca valley · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 127

He had no climbing gear or camping gear no phone or cash, I just think he would head out to a local climbing spot to hang out and look for new first ascents that is what he love to do.

david doucette · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 25
Joe De Luca wrote:He had no climbing gear or camping gear no phone or cash, I just think he would head out to a local climbing spot to hang out and look for new first ascents that is what he love to do.
K, good to know. We'll head out to New Jack or Jtree this weekend and keep our eyes peeled.
Joe De Luca · · yucca valley · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 127

Thanks to all the climbers out there that keep an eye out for Dan he was found last night up in Oregon safe, he is on his way back home.

Alton Richardson · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 170

Great news, Joe. I was in Bishop 2 weeks ago and couldnt stop thinking about him and I kept imagining walking into the Sad Boulders and finding him there hanging out.

Glad to know he is likely now, home safe.

Miike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2015 · Points: 0

I knew this guy for about a year back around 2007...one of the strongest climbers I've ever met, and I saw him and helped spot him, on some FA into the double digits, and watched him break a hold off Goldfish Trombone, at the time maybe the hardest problem in that area. Great, great guy, really funny, generous and nice. But...umm....he's also batshit crazy. No disrespect intended, as he would be the first to tell you that!

So just on a lark I decided to look for him online and saw this....not surprising, at all.

He called me one night at 2am when I still was in touch with him and babbled on incoherently about man-in-the-moon martian talk and other insane ramblings...

I wouldn't put anything past this guy, but I still have love for him so I hope he doesn't turn up dead or end up locked away.

However, combining his love for certain illegal substances, along with his tendencies, make me think he won't last long in the free world. And his "homelife" in Pasadena is probably the catalyst for his state..so, well I feel sorry for "Mills from the Hills" (as he used to call himself) and I do hope he turns out ok and everything.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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