Two Oregon men were found dead in a Washington state forest after they failed to return from a trip to look for Sasquatch (Bigfoot), authorities said Saturday. The 59-year-old and 37-year-old appear to have died from exposure, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook.
The weather and the men’s lack of preparedness led the office to draw that conclusion, it said. Sasquatch is a folkloric beast thought by some to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
The two men were found in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Portland. A family member reported them missing on Christmas Day after they failed to return from a Christmas Eve outing.
Sixty volunteer search-and-rescue personnel helped in the three-day search, including canine, drone and ground teams. The Coast Guard used infrared technology to search from the air. Authorities used camera recordings to locate the vehicle used by the pair off Oklahoma Road near Willard, which is on the southern border of the national forest.
Sasquatch search leaves 2 dead in Washington
Mark T
So sad…
Kimberly M
Horrible! People must ALWAYS prepare for anything when going into the forest in cold climates. Always have warm and even a change of dry clothes. I can’t believe they didn’t even take something to make a fire. I always have a lighter with me everywhere I go, keep one in my car and on my person. Especially when out in the forest! They were only lost for 1 day? They got hypothermia in one night? Unbelievable! So very sad.
Connie O
Strange! Something seems off.
Charles R
Of all the places to proclaim Sasquatch is a folklore beast, one would think Washington State would be the last. Very sad ending for these 2 gentleman.
devon c
The thing that is probably most misunderstood by people unfamiliar with the forests of the PNW is that they are wet. Very wet. They are temperate rain forests. In December, temperatures hover around or just below freezing during the day, and dropping at night. If you get wet with no opportunity to dry off in those temperatures, you die. Rather quickly. Hypothermia is as real in the forests as it is in the waters of Puget Sound. Going into the forests in December without proper gear is unthinkable. Yet, here we are.
My condolences to the families.