Family members of Big Bear resident Karen Dalman, 59, are still hoping she will be found alive after being reported lost in rugged, mountainous terrain.
"Always hoping for the best, you know?" said her son Dan Neilsen.
Since his mother was reported missing Thursday, Neilsen has been riding his motorcycle on dirt roads around the Baldwin Lake area east of Big Bear Lake, searching for her.
She went hiking in the Crystal Mountain area with fellow Big Bear resident Bruce Jackson on Tuesday morning, along with his pit bull.
On Thursday, he called deputies and reported Dalman missing.
According to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department investigators, Jackson said they were hiking near Baldwin Lake when his dog took off. All three apparently got separated and lost.
Jackson finally made it to his car on Thursday and reported Dalman missing from his home.
Deputies said he appeared to be delirious and was treated by medics for dehydration.
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A search for Dalman, pictured at right, immediately began and since then more than 40 people have been looking for her, including family and friends.
A sheriff's spokeswoman said there is extra concern for Dalman because she suffers from health issues including one that affects her ability to walk.
Dalman wasn't prepared to stay overnight, and seasonal streams were dry.
"They didn't have any food or water with them," sheriff’s spokeswoman Tiffany Swantek said. "(We're) unsure if she had any medication with her, and the type of clothing that she was wearing really was for a day hike."
It's also unclear if Dalman brought medications with her.
"She's an awesome woman, definitely not too physically fit, doesn't hike. The whole situation is a little bizarre," Neilsen said of his mother.
Late Friday morning, friends of the family found the missing pit bull in Cactus Flats, north of Baldwin Lake. The dog was dehydrated and tired. They also found items belonging to Dalman, including her purse, a small bucket and a nearly empty bottle of water.
The search continued briefly after dark using infrared technology from a sheriff's helicopter but was called Friday night. It will resume Saturday morning at daybreak.
