C5 Golfer Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Missing hiker is close to my house, the park in which he was running/hiking is rather small with lots of trails. We went out Saturday to help try to find him. It has been very wet and 40 some degrees. There were infrared cameras from Choppers used, search dogs and 100-200 people searching on foot for several days. Weird he shows up 4 days later, I am a little skeptic of his tale but glad he is ok and safe. I would not roll under a log and put leaves on me when it is that cold and wet when one could walk to a populated area in less than 1 hour in any direction, also there were searchers everywhere, why not shout out to someone? Why would someone walk out after waking up and get on a road and then go back into the woods to walk home. Something fishy here. Sheriff is anxious to talk with him this afternoon. http://www.komotv.com/news/7626511.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Once hypothermia sets in, all bets are off as to what a person might do. Teaching a white water kayaking class once, we lost a student (not dead, just lost). He had taken a few swims, so I was keeping an eye on him. On his last swim, his boat ended up in the next eddy down river with another instructor. After checking he was ok and joking/talking for a few minutes, I let him scramble up the ten foot high bank to walk down to the other instructor in the next eddy, about 40 feet away. When he didn't appear straight away I assumed he was taking a leak and gave him a couple of minutes befor sending a trainee instructor up to see where he was. He was no where to be seen. The six hour search involving about thirty people and two helicoptors turned up nothing. He was found by some firefighters who had just finished damping down a fire about three miles away (10.30 at night). When I talked to him days later, he still wasn't sure what happened, but said he had thought he was at the take out and was looking for his car. Now this was the fourth day of the class, so he knew the routine and wasn't even on the right side of the river. Other than looking a little cold (every one does after a swim) he displayed no sign of hypothermia, yet disappeared in a few minutes. BobD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted May 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Once hypothermia sets in, all bets are off as to what a person might do.Teaching a white water kayaking class once, we lost a student (not dead, just lost). He had taken a few swims, so I was keeping an eye on him. On his last swim, his boat ended up in the next eddy down river with another instructor. After checking he was ok and joking/talking for a few minutes, I let him scramble up the ten foot high bank to walk down to the other instructor in the next eddy, about 40 feet away. When he didn't appear straight away I assumed he was taking a leak and gave him a couple of minutes befor sending a trainee instructor up to see where he was. He was no where to be seen. The six hour search involving about thirty people and two helicoptors turned up nothing. He was found by some firefighters who had just finished damping down a fire about three miles away (10.30 at night). When I talked to him days later, he still wasn't sure what happened, but said he had thought he was at the take out and was looking for his car. Now this was the fourth day of the class, so he knew the routine and wasn't even on the right side of the river. Other than looking a little cold (every one does after a swim) he displayed no sign of hypothermia, yet disappeared in a few minutes. BobD Possible -- sure but seems farfetched. Here is the reason – This guy leaves Friday morning for a run in very little clothing -- shorts I heard from the one news media - this is at 7AM. Given the guy wanted a long run -- so give him 4 hrs which puts him somewhere around Noon on a Friday laying in a ravine unconscious. It is cold , raining and the ground is wet everywhere. He lies unconscious for 3days or 72 hours, among coyotes, cougars, all kinds of bugs, nettles and blackberry bushes everywhere, you name it. He wakes up Monday afternoon and scrambles to the top, out to the road and then back onto the trail and walks home during a rainfall of almost 1” in 4 hours. He gets home @ 11:30 PM or so and there is nothing wrong medically with him after he showers. Not one bug bite or scratch on him per the Sheriff as he smiles and says “I am just glad he is ok”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeW Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 pumas in bellevue area ?? Ive lived in Queen Anne for 3 years and have not heard anything about puma being in that area ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
provocyclist Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 My cologne is called "Black Panther". Thats sort of like a puma. edit: oops. i thought i was still in the summetime-im-bored thread. See what happens with like 5 hours of sleep?So to add something worthwhile, this story does sound fishy. Things dont add up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 pumas in bellevue area ?? Ive lived in Queen Anne for 3 years and have not heard anything about puma being in that area ???? they are every where man! Actually its true they have spread east to the mississippi in large numbers and are being seen east of the mississippi now on occassion. Washington has been lousy with them for years the cascade goat populations were really in danger for a while because of it. I haven't heard lately how that was going. Bellevue does not seem unlikely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted May 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 pumas in bellevue area ?? Ive lived in Queen Anne for 3 years and have not heard anything about puma being in that area ???? Damn son -- the area he was hiking is called Cougar Mountain. Anyway -- no sigthings in that area but that does not mean they not around. Lots of deer for them to dine. interesting read here -- read down a couple of paragraphs when you get to Newcastle -- that is Bellevue area also http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=vesely31&date=20050731 http://cycling.ahands.org/bikecougar.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted May 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Here is a short story update 2 days after his return... IF you are interested. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=cougar23e&date=20070523&query=missing+runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 I'm thinking he might have taken a jog out to brokeback mountain for a few days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted May 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 I'm thinking he might have taken a jog out to brokeback mountain for a few days... Could be-- I am thinking someone else was involved - he had to have stayed somewhere. I do not believe he walked home-- least not the long walk he described. And I do not believe he wore the same clothes for 4 days. I wish the Sgt who spoke in the above article would not take this so lightly.. There were many $$ spent and 3 days of volunteers and paid searchers. If the Runner were to be proven somehow that this was a farce he should pay for the costs incurred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 From KOMO TV plus a new update from the hiker himself who has sent a check for a $1000, As soon as they publish it I'll attach it.. Stay tuned the guy may come clean and finally tell the truth. http://www.komotv.com/news/7752252.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 To not be seen by a professionally conducted IR search in a known area, the guy would either have to be in a cave or covered 180 degrees, ground to ground, with something that would completely mask his body's IR signature. (Unless, of course, he's dead. Body=Ambient) Pretty lame if he was using emergency resources, with people in "life and death" mode, while he's get'in some on the other side of town. If it was a hoax, he better have a damn good story or $1000 will be a drop in the bucket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 And here thought he was going to come clean and tell the truth -- but maybe he is.. We'll never know. but here is his "Thank You" letter. Notice the March date?? It was May that it happened - something is bit off with this guy. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/06/01/2003730931.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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