(Washington State) Two Portland men lost their lives while searching for Sasquatch in eastern Skamania County. On 12/25/2024, around 1:00 A.M., the Skamania County Communications Center received a report of two overdue subjects who were searching for Sasquatch and planned to return home on 12/24/2024. When the pair did not return home, a family member reported the subjects missing and endangered. Flock camera footage was accessed, based on this information provided. A recently installed Flock camera did locate the associated vehicle with the missing/endangered subjects, allowing a Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Coordinator to assist in locating the missing subjects’ vehicle off of Oklahoma Road, near Willard, Washington.
Over the course of three days, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Coordinator acquired over 60 volunteer search and rescue personnel, including canine, drone, and ground searching teams. Additionally, an air asset was acquired from the United States Coast Guard, based in Astoria, Oregon, to assist in the search utilizing F.L.I.R. After a grueling, three-day search over difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions, the 59-year-old male and 37-year-old-male, both from Portland, Oregon, who were reported missing/endangered were located, deceased, in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Both deaths appear to be due to exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office would like to recognize 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. Their exhaustive search efforts resulted in bringing family members home to their loved ones. These teams include: Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Silver Star Search and Rescue, P.N.W. Search and Rescue, Crag Rats, Wasco County Search and Rescue, and the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office. We would also like to acknowledge the United States Coast Guard crew who provided an invaluable service and flew in inclement weather in an attempt to assist with this mission.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the loved ones lost in this tragic incident.
