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August 7, 2017 Watch: California hikers stymied by mountain lion who won’t budge AMBOY — An Orange County couple who had been hiking in the Mojave Desert were found dead Saturday near the Amboy Crater, where authorities believe the air temperature was 113 degrees.

Gen Miake, 60, and Kathie Barber, 58, of Yorba Linda, were found by a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department helicopter crew 1 to 2 miles east of the trailhead to the crater, “approximately 100 yards from one another in the open desert with no shade,” according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.

The Amboy Crater is an extinct cinder cone volcano off Interstate 40 — and old Route 66 — about halfway between Barstow and Needles.

Barber called 911 at 1:36 p.m. Saturday to report that she had been hiking with her husband since 11 a.m. and they had become separated, the news release said. She was unable to find Miake, who she said had a heart condition. She also told dispatchers that she was out of water.

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A deputy from the sheriff’s Morongo station and a patrol helicopter based in San Bernardino were sent to the scene. The deputy found the couple’s car at the trailhead but couldn’t tell which direction they had gone.

When the helicopter arrived, it began an aerial search and located Barber and Miake, who were both unresponsive. A Fire Department member confirmed they were deceased.

The crater is a barren, almost black geological structure that fascinates tourists — particularly those from Europe, said Manny Lopez, the manager of the landmark Roy’s Cafe and Motel in the town of Amboy. Often, he said, hikers are unprepared for the heat, which can be even more extreme on the lava field than in the surrounding desert.

Miake and Barber had lived in Yorba Linda for at least 17 years, according to their neighbors.

The neighbors said the couple could be seen holding hands in the mornings, around 5 a.m. as they took walks together before leaving early for work.

Staff writers Jeong Park and Jim Steinberg contributed to this report