Remains found in mineshaft ID’d as those of missing Groveland man

Human remains found on Christmas Eve in a mineshaft just outside Groveland have been identified, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.

The remains are of 58-year-old Groveland resident Noel Burch, who was reported missing in October in the community of Big Oak Flat. Cause of death has not been determined, the office said.

Burch was reported missing by his sister, who usually spoke to him by phone every few days, the Sheriff’s Office reported shortly after his disappearance. She had not spoken to him in about 10 days.

Burch had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and dementia and had a history of mental illness. He was known to wander off for a few days at a time.

When the remains were discovered, sheriff’s patrol units consulted at the scene with the office’s search and rescue team and determined the mineshaft was unsafe to enter.

The California Office of Emergency Services was contacted, the Sheriff’s Office reported at the time, and a specialized team out of Southern California arrived to assist in recovering the remains.

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Remains found in mineshaft ID’d as those of missing Groveland man."