SKAMANIA COUNTY Wash. — Two Oregon men who apparently went looking for Sasquatch on Christmas Eve were found dead in a Washington State forest, authorities said.
According to a statement posted to its Facebook page, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said the two men, from Portland, were found dead on Dec. 28 in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
The two men, ages 59 and 37, were reported missing on Christmas Day by a family member, the Salem Stateman Journal reported.
According to the sheriff’s office, the men were reported missing to the Skamania County Communications Center at about 1 a.m. PT on Dec. 25. Authorities said the men had planned to return from their search the previous day.
Authorities used a recently installed flock camera to assist in locating the men’s vehicle, which was found off Oklahoma Road near Willard, Washington, the sheriff’s office said.
Willard is located on the southern border of the national forest and about 150 miles northeast of Portland, CNN reported.
Sasquatch is a legendary creature believed by some to roam the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Statesman Journal reported.
Approximately 60 volunteer search-and-rescue personnel were used in what authorities called a “grueling, three-day search over difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions,” the Statesman Journal reported. The search included dogs, drones and ground teams, and the Coast Guard used infrared technology to search from the air, according to the newspaper.
“Both deaths appear to be due to exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness,” the sheriff’s office said in its statement.
The names of the victims have not been released.
“The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the loved ones lost in this tragic incident,” the sheriff’s office said.
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