Beloved Connecticut mom of three vanishes on hiking pilgrimage in Japan

A Connecticut mom of three on a mountaineering pilgrimage vanished in a mountainous area of Japan final week — and her frantic household is pleading for assist after she by no means arrived at her hostel.

Storrs resident Patricia Murad-Caruso was final seen April 10 when she left a guesthouse to embark on an 11-mile trek – however by no means reached her checkpoint, the Hartford Courant reported.

“She left at 7 a.m. and she or he was supposed … to satisfy up on the subsequent hostel the place she was going to remain that night time. However she by no means confirmed up,” sister-in-law Julie Murad-Caruso advised Connecticut Insider.

Patricia is an skilled hiker and wouldn’t have had any issues until she encountered an surprising occasion like an avalanche or mudslide, Julie stated.

Native authorities performed a search however ended it after 72 hours after they couldn’t discover her, she stated.

The lacking girl’s husband, Kirk Murad, flew to Japan on Sunday night time with no less than one of many couple’s three grownup kids.

“Family and friends have proven great love and assist, which is of wanted consolation throughout this nightmare,” Murad advised the Courant in a textual content.

“Pattie has been my greatest buddy since 1986. We married in 1990. I wish to rejoice our thirty third anniversary subsequent month along with her and each our households,” wrote Murad, a profession educator and woman’s highschool basketball coach who’s now a marketing consultant for native faculty directors.

“We had been attempting to coordinate issues between our pals in Japan, my daughter, Murphy, in Singapore, and the remainder of my household within the US. One factor we knew we needed to do was rent a non-public search and rescue firm, because the police in Japan had stopped looking after three days,” Murad wrote.

“Sadly, the police didn’t notify the consulate in Japan that Pattie was lacking till early Friday morning. I attempted to seek out her location after calling and texting her, however her battery had already died by that time,” he added.

On Monday, US Sen. Richard Blumenthal stated he has contacted the State Division and the White Home for assist in discovering Patricia.

“Having spoken to members of Pattie’s household, some now already in Japan, I’m decided to hunt each potential supply of search and rescue to help her,” Blumenthal advised the Courant. “I’m deeply involved and am praying for Pattie’s protected return to her household.”

Her daughter, Murphy, wrote on a GoFundMe web page that her mother deliberate to be in Osaka on April 13 and 14 – and was supposed to satisfy up with a pair in Ryozen-ji Temples two days later.

“Our household pals went to the placement hoping she would present up however after ready for a couple of hours, strolling round each temples and exhibiting Pattie’s image round, they got here out empty handed,” she wrote.

“My household and I’ve gathered that she was following the Kohechi route of the Kumano Kodo path, touring north to south,” Murphy added.

Patricia, a graduate of the UConn College of Enterprise and a latest retiree of United Applied sciences, was on her third main pilgrimage, in response to her sister-in-law.

“She’s touched so many lives. She has a robust work ethic, she’s targeted, extraordinarily clever and she or he likes to bake for her household,” Julie stated of her sister-in-law, who moved along with her household to the US from Taiwan when she was younger.

A Division of State spokesperson stated they’re conscious of an American citizen lacking in Japan.

“The Division of State has no larger precedence than the welfare and security of U.S. residents overseas,” the rep advised Connecticut Insider.

“We stand prepared to supply applicable help to U.S. residents in want and to their households. When a U.S. citizen is lacking, we work carefully with native authorities as they perform their search efforts, and we share data with households nonetheless we will. Because of privateness concerns, we’ve no additional remark,” they added.