Two Men Die in Washington Forest While Searching for Sasquatch
![Gifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National Forest](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_640,h_360,x_0,y_63/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/outdoors_on_si/01jg9v4vm3jzry1egzm6.jpg)
After venturing out into a Washington forest, two Oregon men died while on a hunt for Sasquatch, who they were hoping to spot on their trip.
The Sasquatch is believed by many to lurk in the forest of the Pacific Northwest. Some believers dedicate their entire lives to finding proof of the creature.
On Christmas Day at around 1:00 a.m., a family member reported the pair missing. According to authorities, the men were supposed to return home on Christmas Eve.
The vehicle that the men had driven was found via Flock camera on the southern border of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, providing insight as to where they may have been.
An extensive multi-day search mission involving 60 volunteers led to rescue personnel locating the deceased individuals.
"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," the Skamania County Sheriff's Office wrote on their social media page. "Both deaths appear to be due to exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness."
Included in the massive search was the Skamania County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, P.N.W. Search and Rescue, Klickitat County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, Silver Star Search and Rescue, Crag Rats, Hood River County Sheriff's Office, and Wasco County Search and Rescue.
"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," authorities wrote on social media.
This fatal outcome serves as a key reminder to hikers that when venturing into the wilderness, each individual should pack necessary equipment, leave a detailed itinerary at home, and decide on an appropriate turnaround time to avoid being stranded in the forest in treacherous conditions.