Two men were found dead in a remote forest while searching for Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, according to authorities in Washington state.
Two men from Portland, Oregon, have been found dead following a three-day search that was launched on Christmas Day after a family member reported the pair had not returned from a trip to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to search for evidence of the mythical hairy, bipedal primates that live in the forest.
The search involved more than 60 volunteers searching with aircraft and dogs in wooded terrain and brutally cold weather, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
“Both deaths appear to be caused by exposure, based on weather conditions and poor preparation,” the statement said.
The sheriff’s office found a car belonging to the victims near the town of Willard, the release said, and the search has refocused on that area. Drones were also used, and the Coast Guard helicopter team was called in to search.
Officials did not release the names of the two victims, aged 37 and 59.
Weather conditions in the Cascade Mountains were cold in the days leading up to and during the search, including snow, freezing rain and temperatures that dropped below freezing.
Rescuers also had to contend with high water levels in rivers and downed trees.
Hundreds of Sasquatch sightings have been reported in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and western Canada. Along with the Loch Ness monster, this creature is one of the world’s most famous cryptids.
There have been so many alleged sightings that some communities have taken humorous measures to protect the hairy mythical creature. IN Skamania Countywhere the pair went missing, a person could face a year in jail or a $1,000 fine if one of the folkloric creatures was injured.
