A pair of Portland, Oregon men who set out on Christmas Eve to look for the legendary Sasquatch have been found deceased after days of searching.
The two men, whose names have not been made public, were 59 and 37. Searchers found their bodies in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, a densely wooded and mountainous 500,000-hectare wilderness.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office believes that they died of exposure. The weather was frequently stormy and below freezing, and the men had been ill-prepared to face those conditions for long.
Volunteers search for the missing men. Photo: Skamania County Sheriff’s Office
Christmas search
Stormy weather also delayed the search effort. According to the Sheriff’s office, the volunteers had to contend with “freezing temperatures, snow, high water levels, heavy rain, and heavily wooded terrain.”
The men were reported missing around 1 am on Christmas morning when they failed to return on the 24th, as expected. Traffic camera footage identified their vehicle, which had been abandoned in a rural, wooded area. From there, a search began.
The three-day search involved dogs, drones, a borrowed Coast Guard helicopter, and over 60 volunteers. Several local government organizations also helped. In the end, the men were found too late.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter searches for the missing men. Photo: Skamania County Sheriff’s Office
The Skamania sasquatch
The family members who reported the men missing told authorities that they had been looking for the “sasquatch.”
Also known as Bigfoot, the sasquatch is a mythical bipedal ape thought to live in the forests of North America, particularly the Pacific Northwest. A group that collects sightings of the creature has recorded over 700 encounters in Washington State, far more than in any other U.S. state or Canadian province. Within Washington, Skamania County has the most reports.
This famous still from a film taken by Roger Patterson in 1967 purportedly shows a sasquatch.
The county is aware of its status as the world sasquatch capital. A 1969 law forbids hunting or harming the sasquatch within Skamania County. The $1,000 fine is likely intended more to protect hairy hunters from mistaken-identity shootings. However, the local government encourages Bigfoot-related tourism. Guides and sample itineraries are even available for Sasquatch seekers.
But as this story proves, the region is still a dangerous place for the unprepared, and not because of a mythical beastie. These two fatalities were not the first in the county this year. Several other hikers and hunters have gone missing and also died.
