Rescuers continue to search the rugged terrain of the Superstition mountains for three treasure hunters from Utah. The three men went missing while looking for the legendary Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.

Curtis Meriworth, Ardean Charles and Malcom Meeks were last heard from a week ago.

Carol Meriworth, the mother of Curtis Meriworth, stated that two of the men have medical conditions and her son is in poor health. Meriworth also added that her son was rescued from the Superstition Mountains last year. Aided by his cellphone, he was able to call for help.

This time, however, his mother said that he did not take his cell phone with him.

“I told him to take it,” she says. “He said he didn’t think he’d need it ’cause he was coming back. He was sure.”

According to legend, the Lost Dutchman is a very rich gold mine located near Apache Junction, about 40 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona. The lore that surrounds the mine lures treasure hunters from around the world. It is said that the mine is cursed, while other stories tell of a ghostly miner who guards the mine against discovery. The lost mine has drawn prospectors searching for the mother lode for over a hundred years.

Every year, treasure hunters and hikers alike venture into the Superstition Mountains. It is estimated that as many as 8,000 people make some sort of effort to locate the legendary lost mine.

Many treasure hunters who lose their way have become the focus of the Superstition Search and Rescue (SSAR) team. Since the all-volunteer team was formed in 1994, they have retrieved more than 2,000 treasure hunters and hikers alive from the mountain.

Despite their efforts, not all persons have been recovered alive and some have never been found.

On December 20, 2009, treasure hunter Jesse Capen was reported missing. Friends and family stated that he was obsessed with the legend of the lost mine. Capen has not been seen or heard from ever since.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 9:28 am and is filed under General Paranormal, Ghosts and Hauntings, Life, Lost Treasure. Tags for this post: Superstition Mountains. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.