Sheriff's Office: Drone, helicopter used as search continues for missing Goodyear woman

Investigators have stepped up their search and utilized drones and a helicopter to no avail in the week since a Goodyear woman disappeared after she went to watch a once-in-a-lifetime lunar event in the foothills outside of Phoenix.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on Saturday first issued its plea for the public's help in locating 48-year-old Diana Junge, of Goodyear, who never returned home after hiking to see the super "blood moon."

The Sheriff's Office has said Junge's mother reported her missing after she possibly went stargazing Jan. 30 near the Granite Reef Recreation Site in Tonto National Forest, which is northeast of Mesa. Junge's 2015 orange Jeep with a black hood was found there.

Goodyear Police Department detectives, the MCSO Mountain Rescue Posse, a K9 team, Salt River Rangers and MCSO Lake Patrol Deputies have been combing the area looking for any signs of the woman. Searchers also used a drone over rugged areas too difficult to access on foot, said Adella Laredo-Tarango, an MCSO spokeswoman.

"In order to do our due diligence, we have two remaining areas to search," she told The Arizona Republic on Thursday. "The search will continue until we have utilized every search method and affected area, or evidence may direct us another route."

Junge was said to be unfamiliar with the area, and she has medical conditions that could be life-threatening if not treated for an extended period of time, the Sheriff's Office said.

It's not immediately clear what kind of clothing the woman was wearing, but she had on Hi-Tec hiking boots. Junge is described as 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Goodyear police, the lead agency on the case, said the investigation into Junge's disappearance was ongoing.

Authorities ask anyone with information to call the Sheriff's Office at 602-876-8477 and refer to case number IR18-003349.

Reach the reporter at 602-444-8515, jpohl@azcentral.com or on Twitter: @pohl_jason.

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