Authorities suspend search for treasure hunters in the Superstition Mountains
by Cherlyn Gardner Strong on Jul. 19, 2010, under General Paranormal, Ghosts and Hauntings, Lost TreasureThe Associated Press reports that the week-long search for the three lost treasure hunters in the Superstition Mountains has been officially suspended by authorities.
Sheriff Arpaio says, “We are the leading search and rescue agency in the state and our experience is leading us to believe that these men succumbed to the summer heat.”
For the last seven days, 311 volunteers and 40 sheriff’s deputies combed the Superstition Mountains in search of the three men.. They covered approximately 96 square miles searching for Curtis Meriworth, Ardean Charles and Malcom Meeks.
The three men had ventured into the mountains in search of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.
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.
It is estimated that as many as 8,000 people a year make some sort of effort to locate the legendary lost mine.
