Two Men Hunting Sasquatch Found Dead After Christmas Week Search In Washington

News By TooFab Staff |
Skamania County Sheriff's Office

Two men from Portland were expected back home on Christmas Eve, with their family's call to police triggering a three-day manhunt involving more than 60 volunteers, canines, drones, and a U.S. Coast Guard air assist in an area covering more than 1.3 million acres.

A search for the mythical Bigfoot ended in tragedy for two men from Portland, Oregon who made the trek to Skamania County, Washington during Christmas week in hopes of finding the elusive and mythical creature.

It was 1 a.m. on Christmas Day that Skamania County Communications Center reported receiving a call from the family of two men who had not returned from a reported Sasquatch search as anticipated on Christmas Eve, per Fox News.

The Skamania County Sheriff's Office utilized a "flock camera," or license plate reader, to track the men's abandoned vehicle to a rural road new Willard, Washington, according to their press release.

This triggered a massive search effort over the next three days for the missing men, 37 and 59 years old. Search and rescue services called in more than 60 volunteers, utilizing ground search teams, canines, drones, and U.S. Coast Guard air support in their efforts.

The search centered around the massive Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which at 1,368,300 acres is larger than the state of Delaware. The difficult terrain includes mountains, dense forests, and watersheds, and while there are 200 miles of trails, it's not difficult to quickly get lost.

After three days of searching, the SCSO reported that they had found the bodies of both men. In its press release, the department reported that the men's bodies were found in a densely wooded area.

The sheriff's office reported that "both deaths appear to be due to exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness."

The press release went on to thank "the exceptional volunteers who sacrificed time away from their families during Christmas to assist our agency with this mission."

"These phenomenal volunteers also fought through freezing temperatures, snow, high water levels, heavy rain, downfall, and heavily wooded terrain," the SCSO continued.

"Their exhaustive search efforts resulted in bringing family members home to their loved ones," the statement noted, adding, "The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the loved ones lost in this tragic incident."