Overview
- María José San Martín, 25, vanished on December 12 after a Renault Logan became stuck north of Lake Colhué Huapi and a sandstorm separated her from a colleague as they sought cellphone signal.
- She was located on Wednesday morning walking toward a road roughly 500 meters from her last known position near Río Seco, asked for water upon contact, and was hospitalized for dehydration in stable condition.
- Authorities said she had no water, food or protective goggles and her phone battery had died, complicating efforts to find her in the open meseta.
- The five-day search drew provincial and federal police, GEOP, volunteer firefighters, canine teams, drones, mounted patrols, quads and aircraft under the Sarmiento prosecutor’s direction.
- Separately, retirees Juana Inés Morales and Alberto Pedro Kreder remain missing since October; their closed vehicle was found at Zanjón de Visser, an extinguished campfire is a lead, and a reward has been offered for information.