Each area was assigned to a separate group, police, rangers, volunteers, or dog handlers. GPS tracks were used for tracking and uploaded to a shared database.
Every morning, there was a short meeting to announce the tasks, and in the evening, a report.
Rescuers focused their attention on canyons they had not previously entered. These areas were considered potentially dangerous as a person without sufficient water could easily die there from heat or injury.
Weather conditions August in the desert was typical. Daytime temperatures reached pleasant 135 37° and it was at least plus30 in the shade.
In the evening it cooled down quickly and the temperature dropped below plus 20. The sun dried out the soil and winds from the southwest blew away any footprints within a few hours.
This created a problem. The traces that Eric might have left in the early days were now completely erased.
Discovery of a piece of fabric. On August 20th, one of the teams in the eastern sector came across a piece of fabric among the rocks.
