The San Francisco community and authorities are urgently searching for 21-year-old British tourist Katherine Esther Gamboa Kerwood, who has gone missing during a solo trip to the United States. Katherine arrived at San Francisco International Airport from London on March 31, but her family raised the alarm after she failed to check into the hostel she had planned to stay at. A text sent the same day claimed she was at a Sacramento hostel, which she never reached.
Katherine’s travel itinerary included stops in Sacramento, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz. According to her family, airport security footage shows her meeting a man carrying flowers upon arrival. The man, believed to be named David, reportedly knew Katherine from previous encounters in the UK. Her family remained in contact with her via text until Friday, but a request for a phone call went unanswered. Family friend Ali Zaidi noted her usual responsiveness, saying the lack of messages was the first sign something was wrong.
The San Francisco Police Department and authorities in the UK were notified of Katherine’s disappearance, prompting an immediate and coordinated search effort. Officials have entered her details into a statewide law enforcement database to alert officers across California. Police are investigating all leads, including her last known interactions and travel plans, to locate her safely.
Katherine’s family is deeply concerned and urges anyone with information about her whereabouts to come forward. Her return flight to the UK is scheduled for Wednesday, and authorities are emphasizing the urgency of locating her before that date. The search continues as both local and international authorities work to ensure her safety.
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