Two men died in Skamania County, Washington, while searching for Sasquatch, according to the county's sheriff's office.
"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 (SCSO) wrote in a Saturday post on Facebook.
The SCSO added: "Both deaths appear to be due to exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness."
Newsweek has emailed the SCSO for additional comments on Sunday morning.
Why It Matters
The legend of Bigfoot, the so-called "hairy giant" that stands "seven to nine feet tall and weighs between 600 and 900 pounds," according to the Unnatural Museum of History, has been around since reported North American sightings in the 1800s.
Originally reported mostly in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, sightings of Bigfoot, also known by the Indian term "Sasquatch" since Native American cultures include legends of an ape-like creature that traversed forests, have in fact occurred throughout America, including in the East. Such reported sightings, which continue today, have helped keep the legend of Bigfoot alive and well.
Alleged Bigfoot sightings and stories of a large, ape-like creature aren't rare, although proof to back up the claims is usually nonexistent or limited at best.
The Legend of Bigfoot
Bigfoot is the North American version of the "large hairy beast" cryptid that is present in many countries around the world. In the Himalayas there is the legend of the Yeti, in Brazil, the Mapinguari, and in the East-central Kenyan forests, the Chemosit.
In order for the Bigfoot species to have lasted this long, there would have to have been several specimens in order for breeding to occur, and for inbreeding and low genetic diversity to be avoided. However, a higher number of Bigfoot specimens in existence would therefore increase the chances of one being found dead or killed by a motorist—something that has not yet happened.
No fossil evidence of other hominids except humans existing in North America has ever been found. In 2013, one Utah resident found what he said was a fossilized Bigfoot skull but turned out to merely be a weathered rock when analyzed by a paleontologist.
What To Know
In the early hours of Christmas Day, around 1 a.m., the Skamania County Communications Center received a report of two missing individuals who had been searching for Sasquatch and were expected to return home on Christmas Eve.
Concerned family members reported the pair missing and endangered when they failed to return, according to the SCSO in its Facebook post.
The sheriff's office accessed footage from a recently installed Flock camera, which located the vehicle associated with the missing individuals. This crucial information allowed a Search and Rescue Coordinator to find the vehicle near Willard, Washington.
Over the course of three days, the SCSO coordinated a search operation involving over 60 volunteer search and rescue personnel, including canine units, drone teams and ground searchers. They were joined by an air asset from the U.S. Coast Guard in Astoria, Oregon, equipped with infrared technology to aid in the search.
"We 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," the sheriff's office wrote. "The Skamania County Sheriff's Office extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the loved ones lost in this tragic incident."
What Happens Next
The names of the men have not yet been released.
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