The Search for the Death Valley Germans

Abandoned van found

On October 21st, 1996, at 11 AM, Park Ranger Dave Brenner was performing a routine aerial patrol in Death Valley National Park, searching for illegal drug manufacturing sites. While flying over the rugged terrain of Anvil Canyon, Brenner and his team noticed something unusual—a van parked in an area that seemed completely inaccessible by any legal or paved road. The van, a typical passenger vehicle, was far out of reach for a regular car to have driven into the canyon, especially without proper roads. 

After landing near the vehicle to inspect it, Brenner found that the van was stuck in mud, its rear tires and left front tire were flat, and it was covered in a layer of sand, indicating that it had been in the area for quite some time. The situation raised immediate concerns, especially when the license plate was traced back to a rental from Dollar Rent-a-car in Los Angeles, rented by four German tourists who were supposed to return it by July 26th, 1996. The car had clearly been abandoned and was now technically stolen because it was overdue by several months.

Information about the owner of the van

Further investigation revealed that the van had been rented by a family of four German tourists: Egbert Rimkus, 34, his son Georg Weber, 11, Egbert’s girlfriend Cornelia Meyer, 28, and her son Max Meyer, 4. The family had arrived in Seattle, Washington on July 8th, 1996, and after a brief stay there, they traveled to Los Angeles where they rented the van. 

The van was supposed to be returned on July 26th, but the family never returned it, leading the rental company to report it as stolen after the 30-day return policy expired. After examining photos from the family’s camera, investigators were able to piece together the family’s activities over the following days. The family spent some time exploring Southern California, visiting popular tourist spots. On July 12th, just four days after their arrival, Egbert contacted his bank in Germany to request a wire transfer of $1500 to be sent to a branch in Los Angeles, raising some suspicions about their financial situation. 

Over the following days, they continued traveling down the California coast, eventually checking into the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas. On July 22nd, the family checked out of the hotel with plans to visit Yosemite National Park. However, they made a stop at Death Valley National Park, where evidence such as a visitor center receipt confirmed their presence there. Strangely, after the visit, the family was never heard from again, and their whereabouts remained unknown for weeks.

Investigation and search clues

On October 22nd, just one day after the van was found, Investigator Eric Inman and the Inyo County sheriff’s personnel arrived at the scene to further examine the vehicle. The area around the van showed no footprints or additional tire tracks, except for those left by the van. As they searched inside the vehicle, they found several items, including the family’s camera, clothing, luggage, a leather wallet with a Swiss bank card, and missing sleeping bags. However, one discovery stood out among the rest—a small American flag labeled "Butte Valley Stone Cabin." This cabin, also known as the Geologist's Cabin, was located about 4.1 miles away from the van’s current location, and it seemed the family had stayed there at some point. The discovery of the flag indicated that the family had traveled to the cabin before getting stuck in the canyon. 

Despite this, there was no sign of the family around the vehicle, and no clear evidence of what had happened to them. The van was removed from the canyon and transported, and authorities began a full search for the family. The search covered a significant area, including Anvil Canyon, Butte Valley, and Warm Springs Canyon. Despite the extensive efforts, the only clue found was a Bud Ice beer bottle in the sand about 1.7 miles from the van. The bottle, matching the ones found inside the van, was positioned carefully in the sand with a seat print next to it, suggesting that the family might have taken a break from walking to sit and have a drink. This, however, was the only confirmed clue to the family's actions after abandoning the van.

Conspiracy theories and investigation conclusions

As the search for the family continued, many theories about their disappearance began to surface. One theory suggested that Egbert Rimkus, the father, had planned to start a new life, possibly in Costa Rica, due to some personal issues, including custody problems with his ex-wife. Some of his colleagues claimed that Egbert had mentioned moving to Costa Rica, but there was no solid evidence to support this. 

Another popular theory, though far-fetched, involved the China Lake NWC Facility, which was located nearby. Some speculated that Egbert had come to America to see top-secret technology at the facility and that the family had witnessed something they weren’t supposed to, leading to their elimination by the government. 

However, this theory lacked credible evidence and was dismissed by many. In 2009, the mystery was revisited by Tom Mahood, a man who had followed the case closely. After researching the family’s journey and piecing together the evidence, Mahood theorized that the family’s trip was marred by a series of unfortunate decisions. When they arrived in Death Valley, they underestimated the terrain and made a wrong turn onto a difficult path that led to their van getting stuck. Realizing the van couldn’t go any further, they left the vehicle in search of help, but tragically, they never made it. Mahood’s theory, while not officially confirmed, seemed to explain the series of events that led to the family’s tragic end. Despite ongoing investigations and private searches, the mystery of the missing German family remains unsolved, with some theories suggesting that the remains of the family were scattered in the desert, but the final identification of their remains, especially those of the children, has yet to be confirmed.