Authorities on Sunday concluded their search for an elderly Pacifica woman who went missing near the Park Pacifica area last week, police said.
Pacifica Police led a massive search for 76-year-old Maria “Marlies” Jansen that went on for parts of five days.
"As of right now, we've exhausted all possibilities of the search effort in San Pedro Valley Park and the surrounding Park Pacifica areas," Police Capt. Fernando Realyvasquez told Patch.
Sheriff's departments from San Mateo, Monterey and Alameda counties, among other agencies, sent search and rescue teams to assist police in their search of a massive 1,100 acre swath of San Pedro Valley Park and surrounding areas amid rugged terrain and dense underbrush.
Search and rescue teams have deployed infrared-equipped aircraft, mounted units, K-9 units, bloodhounds, and other trailing dogs in their search for Jansen.
"The vegetation is so thick you could be 10 to 15 feet off the trail and we wouldn't see you," Realyvasquez said.
Jansen, who according to her family suffers from early dementia, was last seen by her husband on Wednesday afternoon on the 900 block of Park Pacifica Avenue. A witness told police they saw a woman matching her description on the 1500 block of Rosita Road later that day.
Despite Jansen’s likely disoriented mental state, she's described as an avid hiker who is in excellent physical condition for a woman her age.
Police acknowledged, however, that it the chances of her surviving on her own in the park are unlikely at this point, but they haven't given up hope that she's still alive.
"We don't know if she went to the park or went somewhere else, we just don't know," Realyvasquez said.
"At the end of the day my hope is that we find her alive and that's what we're going to keep hoping for until we have any information that leads us in a different direction."
Jansen is a 5-foot-5 100-pound Caucasian with brown hair and brown eyes. She may be wearing yellow “croc” type garden shoes and a dark colored jacket.Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Pacifica Police Department (650) 738-7314.
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