Family of missing hunter still hopeful

The family of 61-year old Melvin "Mel" Nadel is still holding out hope that he is alive nearly a week after disappearing in the Pecos Wilderness.

Nadel vanished Sunday while on a hunting trip with a group of people, according to New Mexico State Police.

He apparently stayed behind at a campsite on Sunday afternoon. When his hunting companions returned, he was nowhere to be found.

State Police have spent the past five days searching the area where he was last seen. So far, they have found no trace of the missing man.

A number of his personal items were left behind in his car.

Family members continue to hold out hope that Nadel is alive. Nadel's daughter Kristen Nadel told KRQE News 13 she is exhausted from wondering what happened.

"We've pretty much thought of every possibility," she said. "I cannot even tell you how many scenarios have run through my mind.

"What if this happened? Or what if this happened? But, there's really no way of knowing."

State Police and volunteers will meet Saturday morning where State Highway 63 ends in the Santa Fe National Forest near Cowles to expand their search.

Nadel's wife Edna News 13 she just wants to locate her husband.

"I'm thinking my husband is lying there somewhere," she said. "It's unbearable. He's a very good person, and he doesn't deserve this."

Nadel owns and operates a fitness center in Santa Fe.