An elderly couple who vanished for more than a week were lost thanks to a faulty satnav, which cost one of them their lives.
Ronnie and Beverly Barker had been on their way home from a road trip across the western US when they suddenly stopped communicating with their family back home.
Terrified, they raised the alarm and a week later were found lost on a mountain after going in search of help in their car when their motorhome became stuck in mud.
Tragically Ronnie, 72, was proclaimed dead at the scene while his wife, 69, was taken to hospital suffering from dehydration.
In a statement the family thanked those who helped find the couple.
It read: “The outpouring of support was nothing short of incredible by the members of the local community.
“Our hearts are full because of the efforts that were put forth to help us bring Ron and Bev back home again to Indiana.
“While the loss of Ronnie Barker is tragic, we are grateful that Beverly was found alive and can now begin her recovery from this tragic ordeal.
“We are grateful that Beverly will be able to fill in the blanks and give us the answers that we all so desperately seek.
“Ronnie Barker loved his family and loved his country. He served our nation proud over his 26-year career in the United States Air Force.
“Ronnie was a believer in our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. He was proud of his faith and was always willing to give to others.
“He was funny, witty, and was the spark of energy that everyone gravitated toward. People just loved and wanted to be around Ron Barker.”
Search crews looking for the couple came across their abandoned RV stuck in mud.
As they expanded their search Beverly caught their attention by sending out an SOS in Morse code using the car’s horn.
The search was delayed for four days as the police could not put out an alert as the couple were not from Nevada.
Their nephew, Travis Peters, told 13 News: “What happened was a 25-minute phone call that’s the most incredible phone call I’ve ever had.
"As a lot of people suspected, it was bad GPS directions.”
He added the Barkers were both well-versed with technology.
Beverly previously worked for defence contractors while Ronnie was an Air Force veteran.
Their daughter Jennifer Whaley earlier said during the search: “They have vanished, literally, into thin air.
“It’s all flat. It’s all desert. So where did they go? Where did they go? They’re out in the middle of the desert. You can see for miles and a 32-foot RV, towing a car, literally vanishes into thin air. Where did they go?
“When they fall off the face of the earth, there’s a problem."
