The Most Controversial DEATH in National Park History...

[@kathycasey9153]

You are so right. In a group situation, when EVERYONE is watching the child, no-one is watching the child. Absolutely heartbreaking.

[@MikeInHalifax]

The beginning of every Home Alone movie. Eg.

[@carliecole2563]

Oh but they were CHRISTIAN singles!!! *heavy sarcasm*

[@brandoncline7939]

Great way to say that!

[@MichaelJones-rn2pq]

@@carliecole2563 Because that means...what?

[@MichaelJones-rn2pq]

More children seem to drown in pools at parties surrounded by adults than if only one adult is watching the kid. The comedian Gallagher used to have a piece on the difference between "Watch the baby" as opposed to "Keep an eye on the baby".

[@jabrams875]

Also, I learned from working in emergency rooms and from law enforcement classes the adage "If something is everyone's job, it becomes no one's job". Triple this for watching kids near bodies of water.

[@youtubeuser206]

Or sometimes it really is everyone's job. Definitely not watching a child, that's the parent or guardians job.

[@lemon4690]

It's a real thing, it's called the Bystander Effect. We as humans, when in a group, often assume someone else will do something. Like when you stumble upon a car crash, lots of people are around, and you just assume someone else will call the police. Everyone assumes that, and no one calls the cops. Especially with kids, always be the one to watch them.

[@ambds1975]

Yes. Delegation and documentation are vital. Every job should be Someone's job. Source; lifelong Compliance person.

[@sandpiperr]

Yep!

[@matthewpetersen4417]

Thats how democrats think, then they blame other people.

[@shreyasubramaniam4942]

How does the group of 11 hikers sleep peacefully at night? After taking a 3 YO on a treacherous hike without informing his family and then not even taking responsibility for his safety! Heartless monsters

[@pammccallister553]

Years ago in Dallas,TX, my father, who was a young professional at the time, was riding the bus to work towards downtown. It had rained a lot recently, and as he gazed out the window, approaching the next stop, he saw some boys playing near a small canal full of water. He chuckled as he watched their boyish antics. But then he saw a baby, a toddler, stumbling around in the yard, wearing only a diaper. It was warm out, but what struck my dad was how he was headed towards the big boys playing by that canal. For a brief moment, he thought maybe I should get out here and do something, get the little one and make sure he’s going to be okay. But he thought of how he’d be late to work and how his company frowned greatly on this. How he had no idea when the next bus would come through, if at all until the evening. How he was wearing a suit and tie and shoes not fit for walking in the muck and mud all around there. And all this took place in about a minute as he debated this while people boarded the bus. In the end, he decided to stay on the bus and just get to work, that someone would get the baby and it would be okay. That evening, he was stunned as he watched the local news. A story about a toddler that drowned in a canal just outside the family home was one of the top stories. He watched in silence as he realized that was the same place he saw on his commute. He’s in his 80’s now and still remembers that incident, how he wished he could go back and get off that bus. I pointed out to him once that many people saw that and anyone could’ve jumped out to help. I’m sure these people who were on this hike, and the fishermen, have had to deal with their choices, as innocent or negligent as they were. Many people’s lives were changed when Jared was lost. May we not be afraid to inconvenience ourselves in those moments of decision.

[@animalliberationCLBB]

Heartbreaking 💔 I had a similar situation it will haunt me forever.. Guilt can literally kill us

[@livmilesparanormalromanceb6891]

Your experience will make you more vigilant going forward, and one day, you will save someone. I’m sorry for your experience and guilt, however.

[@QueerFrogRabbit]

He should not blame himself. BUT the truth is that I would blame myself. How could any decent human being be anything but devastated over such a situation. As a mother myself, the real blame is on that babies parents. Still... just soul crushingly sad.

[@RyanSchell]

So I had to come back to this video to comment how the story and you sharing it may have helped another young boy. The interaction with two fisherman and the strange nature of seeing a young boy hiking alone was in my head, as well as the story of Susan Clements. See me and my family were hiking down from Clingman's Dome taking the bypass, non-paved, route back to the parking lot. As we are hiking down a young 6 yo boy was hiking up alone. My wife and I stopped and asked him questions about his hiking group and where they were. He commented his dad was back there, but hiking slow (kid had no mercy on his dad, haha). We waited a bit to see if anyone did come along, but no one did. The boy seemed lost based on where he was saying he needed to head. He was on the same path, it seemed as Susan Clements, but all alone like Jaryd. Fortunately we were able to get enough cell service to contact his parents and get him in touch with them again. I keep thinking about if I didn't have those stories in my mind, and if we would have taken the pave path back down, what might have happened to that young boy! I share all of that to thank you for these stories. I feel this is a real world result of how they can help out future hikers from facing some of thee tragic stories. Thank you!

[@theCosmicQueen]

kudos to you guys. But this kid must never go hiking with his dad again. he may have yelled at him to come back but the kid did not. or whatever.

[@Madamegato]

This is how it should be handled any time a young child is found hiking alone. The fishermen could have simply told him to stay with them until the group caught up, someone in the group could have held him back, his DAD could have understood that without designating someone as his sitter, his kids shouldn't be going without him. So many missed opportunities to keep this kid safe. Sad.

[@jen30551]

Thank you for sharing this. While I don't blame the fisherman as they wouldn't have likely let him rub off if they thought something was wrong, I'm sure it eats at them. Besides remembering little Jaryd, the only value in sharing his story is what we can learn from it. I think Kyle does a great job at that. And good on you and your wife foe protecting a little one. You may very well have averted tragedy by taking action.

[@automnejoy5308]

Here's the real problem. If the kid is afraid of strangers (as we teach kids to be... which is justifiable in most situations) then they may run away from you. Or maybe they're not afraid of you, but they just think that they know better and they don't want to wait for their group and/or parents. (My sister was like that.) Then what? Do you go chasing after the kid? Not likely.

[@QueerFrogRabbit]

So true. These stories take a toll on you, but that toll may save someone someday. It's so important to tell/hear these stories. ❤❤

[@elizabethblane201]

When the "group" decided to change plans and go hiking instead of going to the fish hatchery, that was the first error they made. They should not have taken the kids hiking without telling the dad first. They should have returned the kids to dad instead of just taking them into the wilderness.

[@annatanneberger1]

@elizabethblane201 Spontaneity is fun, but a last-minute decision to hike is irresponsible. Someone in the group would not have appropriate footwear or raingear or anything warm... I live at the foot of a mountain and mountain rescue is kept very busy by people who made a last-minute decision to go hiking instead of going to the beach as planned.

[@elizabethblane201]

@@annatanneberger1 You are right!

[@ronniemead805]

maybe a pedo was in the group and wanted to do something to the little boy, who knows?

[@xwhite2020]

First error was the negligent father leaving a 3 and 6 year old with a group of strangers.

[@elizabethblane201]

@@xwhite2020 I think in the video it said the father was part of the group on a regular basis and knew them. That might have given him a false sense of security wherein he trusted "the group" to properly care for his children. Each person in a group assumes that "everybody else" is watching the kids.

[@retriever19golden55]

A three-year-old and a six-year-old on a fifteen mile hike...unconscionable. They had zero right to change their plans without notifying Alan. And how could any adult let a toddler run down a trail *anywhere* alone?!!!

[@IndigoBellyDance]

Dad could have gone with his kids

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

I mean, the father should have never let the kids go without him there. But yes, the right thing to do would be to consider the children's well-being first and foremost.

[@bahjinelson3986]

It's a 15 mile trail, but it's unlikely they planned on hiking more than a mile or two in.

[@morissaduke3165]

No, they said they were 15 miles from the hotel. Not that the hike or trail itself was 15 miles.

[@AA-ed6ek]

@@IndigoBellyDance Don't do that.

[@daveburklund2295]

Doesn't matter what actually happened to this poor boy, the reality is none of those things would have happened had he not been neglected.

[@savvystarfire6667]

Slightly disagree, it does matter if there are child killers who haven't been caught. Even if it wasn't foul play the family deserves to know what happened to their child instead of living in uncertainty

[@reynalindstrom2496]

I have a different opinion. I think that really matters what happened to the boy, he is gone för alltid and levde only 3 years. Love from Sweden💛💙

[@daveburklund2295]

@@reynalindstrom2496 I agree about that part, what meant was, all of this tragedy could have been better avoided had someone been watching over him.

[@roleat]

​@@daveburklund2295nah predators make their way into vulnerable spaces

[@YayMiko]

I agree that none of it would’ve happened if the group hadn’t been neglectful, but it definitely still matters what happened to him.

[@SDMacMan]

If the boy only let out a short scream, it was most likely a mountain lion. Thank goodness is wasn't a bear or human, the boy would have suffered much more. I just don't understand how this even happened. A lot of people REALLY dropped the ball on this one. The one I feel worst for is his sister. I hope she's been able to live a somewhat normal life.

[@ianhunkin5384]

Watch missing 411 by david pauliddes ...itseems far more sinister,he goes into depth about the whole story ...i urge you to watch it

[@wendycrawford1792]

@SDMacMan. Hello. Having just watched this whole report, l remember it was clearly stated that when authorities examined the possibility of a mountain lion attack, it was noted that there wasn’t any blood on the clothing, OR any mountain lion DNA. I would have agreed with you but this possibility was cancelled out due to lack of any evidence. So heartbreaking.

[@crescentmoonchild4031]

I’m so nosy I get in trouble but seeing a kid alone I would ask what was going on…make them stay with me until we meet with a adult. This has happened too many times…lost child at Walmart, lost child wandering alone in McDonald’s parking lot, lone child running into elevator on cruise ship…yes, I’m that person and I wont stop. I have seen too many news stories when someone random person will say “I saw a lone child but didn’t say anything, or yeah I heard screams….no phone calls, no searching …disgusting

[@tinahochstetler2189]

Keep being that person. I'm that person too. Doesn't usually take long to find a parent or whoever is with the child and get them back together.

[@madelainepetrin1430]

If I saw a small child alone in the woods, I would keep him with me until I found his family. I would never assume that he was with any group of people. It boggles the mind that the 2 fishermen just watched him run off! He was a toddler!!!!

[@janblackman6204]

Yes but they were men. I can totally imagine my stupid husband doing the same thing. He wouldn’t want to get involved. I however would never let a small child be alone

[@madelainepetrin1430]

@janblackman6204 My husband and my father would have been even more protective of the toddler! It's not bc they were men. Something else, maybe.

[@TheNikinut]

I know right. I would have also. But Im a granny so I watched my children like a hawk and my grand children.

[@janefromtennessee]

Yes

[@janefromtennessee]

@@TheNikinut I did too.

[@eileenbauer4601]

About Jared’s inside-out pants: my first thought was he dressed himself that morning, and pulled them on inside-out, and no one noticed. Not an unusual occurrence. Not saying this is necessarily what happened, just adding another possible explanation. Little kids that age can dress themselves just sometimes not perfectly.

[@wolfman8449]

Very likely this. This kid had some oblivious ass adults around him. Even when paying attention it can be missed, this group didn't pick up on anything important.

[@helljumpper]

I support the mountain lion theory, and on that note, the animal could have grabbed the seat of his trousers and thrashed or yanked him out of it. It makes more sense to me than imagining it nipping at a pants leg and gingerly pulling them down along with his shoes.

[@crazeecip]

I thought about this too. Were they sure they weren’t that way when he left?

[@StamfordBridge]

@@wolfman8449 Or he wandered off and got hypothermic, confusedly pulling the pants off himself, as hypothermia victims often do.

[@wolfman8449]

Yeah I considered that, definitely possible. A lot of odd clues are left during hypothermia that can be explained by it @@StamfordBridge

[@HollyCat504]

As someone that lives in Colorado and knows this case backwards and forwards, I don’t see anything suspicious or sinister about it. We have a lot of dangerous places and dangerous wildlife and, sadly, a little boy wandering alone would be easy prey for an animal. That would explain him being found so far up, bc the lion took him up there. As far as not hearing him scream, several people DID report hearing a scream, including Jared’s sister, Jocelyn. But even if no one else heard it, it’s a huge area and he was a little guy with a little voice. I can totally see him yelling out but no one hearing. Or being so afraid that he completely froze and didn’t make a sound. Or, if the lion grabbed him by the throat, he probably wasn’t able to get out a scream. I also don’t discount him actually getting up there by himself bc kids can surprise you. Then he maybe fell and knocked himself out or just wandered as long as he could. And then the elements got to him. Paradoxical undressing is extremely common in people that die from exposure and hypothermia. And don’t forget how wrong things went with the search. The rescue helicopter crashed the following morning. It only got 100ft up before it stalled out and came crashing back down. Who knows what kind of clues could’ve possibly been underneath that wreckage and was destroyed. I also want to add that I see people commenting on here and vilifying his father, Allyn Atadero, and that is completely unwarranted. He didn’t just let his kids go off with some strangers he had just met. This was his church group. This particular group of people from his church made up a club within the church, which was The Christian Singles group. And Allyn was a member of this group and had been for quite some time. He was very close with most of the members and they frequently helped him out as a single father by watching the kids, cooking them dinner, etc. They were actually up there helping him close it down for the winter. So, he definitely trusted them to look after his children. This impromptu hiking trip up to the Big South Trail was never discussed with Allyn. They told him that they were just going to the fish hatchery, which was just down the road. That’s why he let Jaryd and Jocelyn go. He never would’ve given the ok had he known. But he didn’t know and it seems like the group didn’t at that time either, just deciding to go on the spur of the moment. So they went to a “moderate” trail, 15 miles away, and didn’t pay attention to Jaryd. When “everyone” is helping, often times that means “no one” really is. Which is what happened here. The group had split into 2, one faster and one slower. The fast group assumed that Jaryd was back with the slow group. And the slow group assumed he was up with the fast group. But, unfortunately, he was with neither. According to the 2 fishermen, who are the last ones to see him (that we know of) Jaryd came up to them and asked if they saw any bears. They men didn’t think much about him running around alone, as they could see one of the groups about 50 ft away coming up the trail. No one knows for sure which group they saw, either the fast one or the slow one. But I have to assume it was the fast group, which would explain why no one else saw Jaryd after he spoke to the fishermen. He had somehow gotten ahead of both groups, without them realizing it, and then whatever happened was able to happen with no witnesses. *Edited to delete an emoji that I guess I had pressed by accident.

[@Tampafan33]

Nothing suspicious?? Are you dumb?? The most damn suspicious part is they randomly get this fucing kid to go with them and then decide to randomly out of nowhere decide to do a 15 mile hike AFTER JUST TAKING A TINY FUCKING KID. No adult would do that without some sort of intentions!! Hate people that ignore shit

[@troutfisher7182]

I think its true he could have gotten up there himself. Kids are natural climbers.

[@13donstalos]

Yes, I'm sure the chopper probably landed on the lost boy. Nailed it.

[@jenniferg6818]

I don’t see anything suspicious or sinister about it. >> ohh... you didn't see the "christian singles" group? ffs

[@mirabellaolson6410]

It is disgusting that the fishermen didn't help the kid get back to either group. A kid that age can't fend for himself. Basically, I have alot of distrust for church going Christians especially single's groups. I find many of these types inhospitable if you don't follow the same beliefs as they do, and are disrespectful of others faiths. That being said, some people are just selfish and can't be bothered to share their time or experience with someone elses child/responsibility.

[@franklopez2969]

It all boils down to the adults not taking care of a three year old child! They should all be held accountable

[@suemoreno5217]

Exactly

[@lturner6256]

You are wrong. It was poor judgement and negligence on the part of the father.

[@brendaguerin5423]

@@lturner6256 I aggree!!

[@dianacurry6248]

A 3 yr old alone?

[@dianacurry6248]

Inexcusable!

[@samimburgia8355]

I once encountered a young boy walking up a trail in Chautauqua Park near Boulder Co. unaccompanied by an adult. Minutes later his father showed up but by this time the boy had already disappeared up the trail. I tried to impress upon the father the danger of allowing the boy to be that far ahead of him. The father's reply was, " he's okay, we go hiking in Utah all the time with no problem. I was dumbfounded. There's no cure for stupidity.

[@richardthompson6366]

You left the boy alone?

[@theCosmicQueen]

well you aren't much better, you let him go alone and did /said nothing.

[@toiletfrog]

Depending how far on the trail you were, he could easily fall and get seriously injured. not to mention if he left the trail.

[@horvathsogranfume658]

in your attempt at virtue signalling, you came across just as irresponsible 😂

[@flingonber]

I mean...Chataqua Park is kind of right in the city, it's not "near Boulder" it's IN Boulder. I used to live right down the street from it on Baseline and it's less than a mile from the University of Colorado campus, it's not like it's a wilderness area. Yeah, a little kid probably shouldn't be unattended but it is a city park.

[@paranoyd70]

Jaryd Atadero was my nephew (my sister's son) so I followed this as it happened and the response of the authorities pissed me off. They refused to allow in volunteer searchers (some with trained dogs) and refused to follow up on reported sightings and quickly called off the search after only 4 or 5 days because deer hunting season was to begin & they didn't want to continue the search because no hunting could be allowed if there was an ongoing search, so they called it off. And the group that allowed a 3-year old to set off on his own is inexcusable. What were they thinking? Also, when the group discovered that Jaryd was missing, they all went to town to report the missing child, NONE of them stayed to search. Also, there was an officer who reported sighting a child matching Jaryd's description who was being dragged along by an elderly couple. The officer was many miles away and claimed to be drawn to the couple because the child did NOT want to go with the elderly couple and that the elderly couple was dragging this kid against his will. He chalked it up to just an unruly child but made a menta note of it. When he heard of a missing child matching the description of the child he saw, he notified authorities immediately. He was IGNORED. There was NEVER any search for Jaryd outside the park, they wanted to declare him officially dead from the start.

[@debrac3391]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family are able to find some comfort. But, I'm curious as to your thoughts about the criminal actions of his father allowing his small toddler to accompany a group of people he did not know well. I find that very troubling. Did the police ever consider charging him?

[@paranoyd70]

@@debrac3391 I would agree with you that the actions of the hiking group adults was absolutely horrendous, but I can't call them "criminal" because they broke no laws. Of course I wish that Alan (the father) never entrusted his two children to them, but at the time he (nor I) had no way of knowing their utter incompetence. Keep in mind that he was new to Colorado and lived his entire life up to that point in CA. He assumed the hiking trail would be safe & fun for the kids and everyone assured him that it would be. He had no way of knowing. And the group was part of his church, so again, it was unassuming. I'm not sure, but I think he is no longer a part of that group and does hold somewhat of a grudge against them. Again, not 100% sure, as I haven't spoken to him in years, since he & my sister ended up getting divorced, but I do know that at the time he was extremely angry at the group for doing what they did. And Thank-You for your sympathy.

[@ronniemead805]

@@paranoyd70 could there have been a pedo in that group?

[@missykrezo9668]

What do u mean he thought the trail would be fine and safe for the kids? I thought the group were supposed to be visiting the fish hatchery but then after they left they changed their plan’s and decided to go to the trail instead? I’m confused- did they have his permission to take the kids on the hike or to the hatchery?

[@paranoyd70]

@@ronniemead805 I wouldn't know, as I didn't know those people and never met them. If there was, you would think that they would have gone with Jaryd, but they let him go all alone, so I kinda doubt it, but again, I honestly don't know.

[@nancyst.john-smith3891]

Coming from a hiking family, I’ve never known a 3 or 6 year old who could hike 15 miles in one day. What zi mean by this, is a bunch of people decide to take a 15 mile hike rather than what they told the kids’ dad, 3 and 6 year olds are not liking 15 miles a day. It was a stupid decision from the get go.

[@LivinginOldFlorida]

CNN just did a story on a family of one mom and 15 kids, ages 4-25 thru hiking the AT.

[@thecatatemyhomework]

​@@LivinginOldFloridathere are plenty of family members who can carry the young ones.

[@sonjarygg2331]

He was missing for 4 years though.

[@cwd243]

​@@LivinginOldFloridayea, they are called "32 feet up" they have a very very bad reputation on the trail. They hike with an aggressive German shepherd "guard dog", fill up shelters, don't abide by group number limits, garbage everywhere, they yellow blaze (skip trail). They aren't thru hiking at all. It's much like the paraplegic woman who claimed that she had thru hiked the PCT with robotic legs (she didn't) it's all publicity for online clout. They sell merch for gods sake. If you want to see something incredible look up "buddy backpacker" he was a triple crown by age 8 I believe. Thru hiked the AT at age six.

[@kristengottula9337]

Unless I heard it wrong, the trail head was 15 miles away, and they drove to it. I thought the same at first.

[@fiona-lyons]

I wouldn't presume anything when it comes to a child- especially so young and in a place which is potentially so dangerous. When I have come across a lone child, I have stuck with them until I was sure they were reunited with their parent/guardian. It's beyond negligent to be so casual about the welfare of a child. Everyone in that group is responsible.

[@crazeecip]

Agreed. I’m not blaming the fishermen as I think a lot of people would’ve made the assumption that he was with the group but I would’ve made sure. But I’m not sure that would’ve mattered. They weren’t watching him regardless.

[@x4at197]

Someone else’s child is absolutely not my responsibility

[@lynngroll1]

If you’re volunteering to help out then you are responsible

[@thelogicaldanger]

@@x4at197 The minute you put someone's else's child in your car to take them on a hike, you absolutely are responsible for them.

[@crazeecip]

@@x4at197 They assumed responsibility by agreeing to take the children. If they didn’t want it they should’ve said no.

[@PinkRanger1105]

Holy moly, it’s insane that I just stumbled upon this video randomly. Jaryd Atadero was my former boss’ nephew. He told me about how his nephew went missing years ago, and that he and his twin brother (Jaryd’s father) wrote a book about the nightmare ordeal. He loaned me the book and I read it. I had never heard about what happened, nor have I since I read the book. I can’t watch this video in its entirety because of it. I watch TrueCrime stuff all the time, but it hits different when you know the actual family that went through this. 💔

[@emeryltekutsu4357]

"Everyone assumed that somebody else was doing it." This happens a lot. This is how children drown in a pool with dozens of adults around them at a party. Everyone assumes somebody else is in charge of watching the kids. If you leave your child with anyone, make sure there is a single, designated person to watch your kid at all times.

[@cynthiagibson6793]

Who is going to take 2 little kids on a 15 mile hike with no parent. Why didn't they ask themselves this question?

[@karliereddfan]

It was a church group with many adults and multiple children, which is worse. I believe there were 11 adults in the group.

[@MikadoYuma]

They probably did, but had the "youngsters have boundless energy" mentality and thought they could handle it, and probably never considered that they'd wander off.

[@crazeecip]

They should’ve taken the children back when they decided to go on a hike. Highly irresponsible.

[@nerfherder6638]

1999 was a different time, many kids would walk home themselves, I would be out in the forest by myself all day.

[@thecatatemyhomework]

​@@nerfherder6638at age three??

[@longrider42]

Here is something you should know. Joggers outside of Boulder Colorado, are told, do not jog alone, and do not bed over to tie your shoes. Why, Mountain Lions will attack things running alone, or if they bend over and present an easy target. Colorado is a dangerous place.

[@HollyCat504]

I live in Colorado as well and completely agree.

[@cwd243]

It's seems like jail and jogging in Colorado have a lot in common. Show no fear. Don't bend over....

[@lh3540]

Counter point: lots of us trail run alone, but I will 100 percent loosely shadow unattended children. Dumb tourists do this all the time, you'll see a kid lagging behind or running beyond a corner. The junior cross country kids also don't stick together. It's one of my peeves.

[@allewis4008]

Predation of children by mountain lions is a sadly not uncommon event in the Pacific Northwest.

[@elizabethmountain525]

You could not pay me enough to go into any National Park and walk the lonely trails.

[@loub1105]

Two things of interest. Animals, including domesticated preditors, do not view children as little humans. They view them as another animal. Also, in Australia a dingo had enteted a tent and took a child. When the clothes were found, some were inside out. Experiments to how a preditor would leave clothes in this manor was conducted using a dressed lamb. The results were similar to this case as well.

[@janefromtennessee]

I read the book about the dingo getting the child.

[@13donstalos]

Wait, so are you saying a dingo ate his baby?

[@dont_harsh_my_mellow]

*manner. Manor = big house. Sorry. Had to. Lol.

[@janefromtennessee]

No dingo here

[@janefromtennessee]

@@dont_harsh_my_mellow in the USA

[@buds8423]

There is a bizarre mentality of parents when camping. Have had people leave their toddlers at a group campsite to go hike, assuming someone will watch their kid! Happened too many times- now refuse to share campsite with any young kids and in large groups, make sure to say, “I don’t watch kids”…

[@linzi94]

I responded to a call where a “concerned” motorist called about a very young child walking at the side of the road through fields. That caller did not wait with the child for help, they simply carried on their journey. So, it does happen, it boggles my mind whi you would call that in and drive on…. luckily we found the child safe and sound before it got really dark.

[@canterburytail2294]

The fact mountain lions tracks were found near a child footprints is highly suspect. The tearing on the clothes looks like wild animal. People don't really bleed after they die and M. lions ago straight for the jugular. Cougars hide their food too so they can go back to it. Smaller scavengers could have further disrupted remains. It's either he got lost and scavengers ate his remains or something truly horrific and terrible. Sad story, thanks for covering it.

[@denverdazzle5131]

But if it was an animal attack his clothes wouldn't have been taken off

[@herzchen666]

I definitely don't know what happened but I wondered if the lack of blood could indicate foul play because he might have been strangled by an adult and there just wasn't blood spilled. I find the wandering off and eventually dying of exposure or hypothermia theory a little harder to believe, just because he wouldn't have died immediately and he'd probably have been hollering and people were looking around there- then again, maybe he fell/ slid on sharp rocks/ hurt himself and died more quietly from injuries & exposure combined.

[@tammytan2635]

⁠@@denverdazzle5131probably paradoxical undressing. I’m a mom, but now watching kids in the 1-4 age range. This is how a child would take off their clothes. It’s also entirely possible for kids to surprise us with their climbing and scrambling abilities, especially kids that aren’t raised on tv/iPads. The poor baby most likely wandered, got cold and hungry and perished and then scavengers did what they do.

[@benjalucian1515]

@@denverdazzle5131 Look at the area. Rough rocks. The cougar had the kid by the throat, was dragging him across the rocks, the waistband of the trousers got caught on a rough edge of rock and were pulled off the kid, turning them inside out, pulling off one shoe at the time, losing the other shoe a little farther off.

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

@@benjalucian1515this exactly. Personally I’d think the inside out pants and spread out clothes make this more likely to be a mountain lion than less. If a human being did it then why would the clothes be separate from the body? Wouldn’t they just redress the boy and put him back?

[@rayosunshine]

Children who are stragglers and allowed to fall behind by the group has been known to cause many a search and rescue. Each group hiker says the same thing to the law officers. "I thought he would catch up and I wasn't responsible for keeping an eye on him." To me I think everyone is responsible for every child that comes hiking with you no matter if they are yours or not.

[@annatanneberger1]

@rayosunshine Every hiker is responsible for every other hiker in any group that started out together. If an unfit hiker begs us to leave him behind (it happens) then I refuse, and simply insist that everybody else slows down a bit, or wait periodically for the slow-coaches to catch up, while enjoying the scenery. Otherwise I will ask an experienced hiker to accompany the unfit hiker back to the cars.

[@Richard_Cranium]

Not my kid not my problem. Especially if that kid is not part of my group. It's 2023 I am not going to have some crazy hysterical parents wondering why thier kid that they are responsible for near a stranger. Nope not getting involved. It's somebody else's problem...

[@liabw05]

@@Richard_Craniumwow you sound like a great person 🙄

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Woman moment. Men are adjudged to be creeps and pedophiles for interacting with children. You can thank your fellow feminists. You aren't entitled to men's protection or aid anymore. Your body, your choice, your responsibility.@@liabw05

[@TheQueensWish]

Narcissists are selfish and don’t care about looking after anyone but themselves.

[@podunk_woman]

I found a deer killed by a cougar the night before, or perhaps earlier that morning. There was next to no blood as the deer died from s broken neck. The next day, the carcass had been dragged off leaving no sign it had ever happened.

[@dandeeteeyem2170]

Exactly. Just because people have limited imagination and experience, they fail to see what should be obvious. As an example of inadequate mental models leading to crazy beliefs. In Australia years ago, a guy I worked with told me that he and his buddies got a bunch of black and green garbage bags, with coat hangers inserted through the tie loop, and wedges a "Jiffy" fire lighting brick on the end of the coat hanger. Kind of like a Chinese lantern. They lit them up one night in winter, in the Dandenong ranges. That night still gets talked about in UFO documentaries, and oftern gets described as having "no other rational explanation". Why everyone jumps to the most fantastic, irrational, implausible explanation for things outside of their frame of reference, is beyond me 😅

[@debellis859]

@@dandeeteeyem2170 There was no other rational explanation. Nothing "rational" about a bunch of idiots thinking trash bag lanterns are aliens.

[@xelectrix]

Plus, it was 4 years before his remains were found. All kinds of other animals could have scavaged his remains, scattering the clothes and turning them inside out. As for the shoes... maybe the rocks acted as a shelter, so they didn't get as dirty as they would have if they were out in the open?

[@debellis859]

In my opinion cougars, in order to access more of the body, would be smart enough to bite the waist band of the pants and pulled downward. Anyone who has undressed a toddler knows that just doing that will often cause the pants to catch around the ankles and just turn inside out if you continue to pull. They will remain stuck at the ankles though, especially if the child is still wearing shoes. The inside out pants are then covering the shoes providing protection from the elements until the body is decayed to the point that scavengers can pull out the once stuck shoes. On a more positive note unlike bears who maul people to death, cougars sneak up in the branches of trees behind their prey. When they pounce they make the kill almost instantly by grabbing the head in their Jaws and jerking it in a way that causes their preys neck to break. So even if his sister heard him scream when a cougar jumped on him; he was dead before finishing that scream and thus his suffering was minimal. Still a terrible tragedy though. RIP

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@dandeeteeyem2170 Have you seen the cockamamie 'theories' about the disappearance and deaths of Froon and Kremers? Adherents to that conspiracy will say and do anything to promote their nonsense. Entire websites and endless videos devoted to the closed case and making money off it.

[@blitztim6416]

When my daughter was young and we went hiking, I would always tell her to not get far away from me because a mountain lion might see her as prey. That group was very irresponsible to let that small boy get separated from them. Truthfully, they shouldn’t have taken him and the sister at all. Especially without the father’s knowledge and approval.

[@incineroar9933]

If you take your extremely young kids or pets on trails; do not let them off leash.

[@briantrash]

I don't recommend putting your kids on a leash.

[@pr0n3]

Man, can't help but feel incredibly saddened for Jaryd's family. Not gonna lie though, I sorta wanna head butt the people who said they were gonna watch him.

[@Ninchennase]

I can't even begin to comprehend how a group of adults takes along two children without their parents and without informing their parents, who thought the group was just checking out a nearby fishery. How can you just have kids tag along like that?

[@nancyst.john-smith3891]

@@Ninchennase and on a 15 mile hike? Too much for a toddler.

[@crazeecip]

@@NinchennaseEspecially at that age!!

[@debby705]

​@@nancyst.john-smith3891Absolutely crazy, makes no sense at all

[@Thomas.3698]

You can't assume or believe, anyone will watch your child for 10 min., even including grandparents.

[@GLITTERandSKULLZ]

How do you as grown men see a 3 year old alone in the woods and not follow him, ask h8m questions, stop him or call out for nearby adults? This baby was failed by EVERYONE who saw him that day.

[@wyleecoyotee4252]

Especially his own father

[@flingonber]

They could see the group he was part of. I wouldn't follow a small boy and ask him questions in sight of what they probably assumed was his family either, people would assume I was trying to abduct him. Maybe if you're a woman you can get away with talking to random little kids you don't know, but men can't really do that.

[@GLITTERandSKULLZ]

@@flingonber Then you yell out to the gd adults. Period

[@flingonber]

@@GLITTERandSKULLZ Go for it, then, I mind my own business.

[@Jimmie2429]

There is another scenario. The child did die from an accident like a fall or exposure. Then his remains were scavenged by animals. That would explain the lack of blood or cougar evidence on clothing and it’s location and the few scattered remains. It’s quite a stretch think that the boy was murdered, the perp took his clothing then years later returned to the exact spot to replace his clothing.

[@keithangstadt4950]

Exactly. One would either destroy the evidence or at least not dispose of it near the scene, especially years later.

[@LoganLavery]

The poor wee lad, so very many adults around and no one cared enough to look after him or savvy enough to know a 3 year old can’t look after himself. He was even given a second chance and they also let him go. Very sad story. Would have been devastating for his family. I totally understand why his father keeps the portion of the skull found and his bedroom as a shrine. Everyone let him down.

[@tballstaedt7807]

If I saw a 3 year old wandering alone in the woods, I would not allow the kid to move another inch until his guardian was found. My God! DO people think the bush is some sort of playground? I can assure you it's not. Predators are not being thinned out like they used to be. They are on the rise and being conditioned to live in proximity with humans with very little fear. A 3 year old child alone is an easy snack to a big cat.

[@bryanclark3693]

Old Coloradoan here, I remember the Jared Atadero story when it was breaking news and the Mark Miedema story a couple years earlier. Both tragedies had a couple things in common. Both occurred close to each other. Mark was killed by a mountain lion in the National Park not far away from the Big South as the crow flies. The other thing is that both children, Jared 3yo and Mark 10yo had gotten ahead or away from their adults. In Mark's case he got ahead when the lion grabbed him. To this day, I still cringe when I see parents let their kids run ahead on the trail. I've hiked everywhere around the area, and it's pretty common to see mountain lion tracks, but it's rare to see the lion. They're stealthy.

[@angelicajacobs584]

I see the videos from national parks people take of other people running with their kids to go stand by a bear or moose or bison and I'm just like wtf. People forget it's a wild world still in some places.

[@flowc9372]

Mountain lions can also be up in trees and strike from above, which is where pretty much no one is scanning for danger as they hike.

[@Pugetwitch]

​​@@flowc9372yup. They also can stalk and follow their prey for miles through trees and brush without being detected. They choose prey based upon gait, size, speed of travel, and how easily they can be isolated from others if its kind. Never let your children or pets wander far from you in cougar country.

[@jesstolley7193]

I've been on a few well hiked, short trails with my kids in the rockies near banff. You better believe they stayed between me and my husband (or grandma if she was with us), and we stayed within a few feet of each other,no matter how badly they wanted to "run around". For THIS EXACT REASON.

[@yomama05]

Okay, there is no way in hell that I would let anyone take my young child anywhere, let alone on a hike. This entire scenario is just crazy!

[@annatanneberger1]

@yomama05 I won't allow anyone to take my dog for a walk. Let alone a hike on the mountain.

[@steveescher1554]

Very shady

[@debellis859]

The dad thought they were going to a hatchery, which is where baby chicks are born and sorted(don't ask why, you don't want to know). That is where they were supposed to be going but on the way there they were all "forget this, we are going on a hike instead". They never made any attempt to contact the children's parent to inform him of the change in plans. The dad found out when they called to tell him his 3 year old was missing. He was adamant from the get go that had he been informed that they were planning on taking his children on a hike he would not have allowed it and would have immediately went to pick up his children.

[@annatanneberger1]

@@debellis859 That poor man had suffered enough.

[@debellis859]

Oh just want to make clear my don't ask comment was just regarding chicken farming practices. Not about the kids in any way.

[@judieg.7945]

When you run into a 3 year old, in the woods, you stop, make contact with those adults in the area, or take responsibility for that child and get him to safety. Don't assume anything. He is just out of babyhood for Petes sake, where was their dang common sense? Who lets their little one go off with single adults? A potentially distracted and unfocused on a child they said they would watch.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Not my child, not my problem.

[@earth9544]

Absolutely

[@madnessintomagic]

They’re *men*. Yes, they should do better, but when have they, historically?

[@onemoreweirdo207]

@@madnessintomagic Can you keep your sexist views out of this please?

[@madnessintomagic]

@@onemoreweirdo207 um. NO. It’s not sexist. It’s fact. The father sent him off with relative strangers. The relative strangers barely paid attention. The two MALEs who came across him basically just shrugged and watched him walk off ENTIRELY ALONE. Instinct to protect never kicked in. 95% of women would have been ON IT - never let him out of their sight, took him back to the camp, berated the people who weren’t watching him. It is what it is. Are you hormonal? Don’t be so defensive.

[@AmyAndKensBigAdventures]

Yes! This video was great! I saw the “news” about the “abandoned hiker”. I was appalled!!! Thank you for following through and setting the record straight as much as you can in today’s crazy headline society. You are a good kid (sorry- my youngest son is about your age) and I appreciate the lengths you go to for the hiking and backpacking communities and humanity itself ❤

[@LABoyko]

Taking photos of the child's clothing was fine, but they should have left everything there and let law enforcement touch the items.

[@crazeecip]

I thought the same thing. They disturbed the scene.

[@kristengottula9337]

Agree

[@Janjones7735]

No, you want to collect some evidence if you can because there’s always the possibility that if someone goes back, they won’t be able to find the site again or that conditions will have changed, and that evidence won’t be there anymore. As someone who works with evidence.

[@ifykykcookie]

Really wasn't much of a crime scene after 4 years. Evidence would have been destroyed long before that most likely.

[@CHIPSSALTY]

They took many photos of the scene before removing the items. The police got whatever evidence they needed. In the wilderness, you just got to grab the evidence on old cold cases. You never know if the next spring flood would wash everything away.

[@missmee7210]

I think it was a cougar. I've seen animal attacks where pants get pulled off inside out. It was probably the weather over 4 years that left no sign of anything on the clothes. Definitely one of those cases where you can see how easily it could have been prevented. RIP little man

[@Flynnskis]

Well said. I also think people are over looking the fact that he might have taken them off himself prior to being attacked. If he had to pee, maybe he got sweaty and cold and took his shirt off after all the climbing, etc. etc. So when he was attacked there wasn't any clothing for blood to get on. It SOUNDS like his clothing and the human remains weren't next to eachother. It took them 11 days to find the remains after finding the clothing. My guess is he took his clothing off to pee or because they were wet, kept moving.

[@Flynnskis]

I think most likely he took them off himself. I have a 4 year old and she can't stand having wet clothing on. He could have got wet moving through the brush, fallen, went into the river, etc. and then wanted to take his clothing off. He could have decided not to put them back on or wondered away and lost track of where his clothing was. I think this is the most likely scenario I can come up with. People are suggesting he took them off because of the effects of hypothermia but I think it is just as likely he took of damp clothing because it was making him feel cold or uncomfortable. @@PuppetMaster80

[@jabrams875]

I love that you talk about the 'variety' of fact available online about this case. I'm always suspicious of what I read about true crime cases because incorrect facts can get around and become accepted as true. I listened to a speaker from the FBI talk about crimes and he asked the law enforcement people there if anyone had worked on a particular case before he talked about it because he said invariably someone in the back of the room would pipe up and say that the facts he stated were not true, and law enforcement had no idea how there things got into the media. This was before the internet.

[@karliereddfan]

Beware of law enforcement. Parks hide the yearly murders that happen because anything that happens on government property becomes their responsibility to the fullest extent. His shirt was found folded, his shoes were not weathered. Found in a place and distance impossible for a toddler to get to. They rather say it was an animal than to investigate this boy's abduction.

[@r.c.miller6161]

Shameful and disgusting case. Totally irresponsible adults. No excuse. None.

[@donbendell215]

I was intimately involved in the search, and Jaryd's dad, Allyn, and I became good friends at that time. I had gained a good bit of notoriety as a tracker at that time because I had tracked 27 year old Troy Tilley to his body long after a much larger search involving over 500 searchers from seven states, including Army Blackhawk helicopters with IFR imaging, could not find him. That 1998 search for Troy, his 11 year old stepson Drew Naylor, and his best friend 10 year old Josef Lippincott took place south of Canon City, Colorado on Tanner Trail. All three had perished from hypothermia in a late spring snowstorm. The boys were found leaning against a log where they had perished on the slopes of Tanner Peak by an air scent German Shepherd. Troy was not found, but after giving my word to his widow, Jolene, also the mother of Drew, I just had to find him. I also gave my word to Mark Lippincott, the father of Josef and also Troy's best friend. I searched for days finding fires the hikers had made old tracks, their campsite and many clues telling me what happened. I tracked Troy's tracks, sometimes holding my horse's reins in my teeth while wearing reading glasses and turning over pine needles and leaves while on my hands and knees. It was simple. The tracks and sign told me, Troy had crossed over the ridge during the blizzard and built a camp among a grove of trees up above South Chandler Creek to get on the lee side of the ridge away from the wet blowing. He made a large pine bough bed big enough to hold the two boys, and broke off every pieces of "squaw wood" he could reach in the grove, built them two fire, and left them with a pan to put snow in and boil for water. Then he set off cross country, during the blizzard and with no coat trying to make it to Canon City past North Chandler Creek on the other side of the ridge. He was training to reach Tanner Trail but never made it out off the steep canyon surrounding North Chandler Creek, due to hypothermia. He was fighting the blinding blizzard and I found places where he literally broke branches falling down while trying to climb up to Tanner Trail. My late wife and I on our horses found his backpack, with matches, toilet paper, wallet, and car keys in it, hanging on a log over North Chandler Creek. I knew his body had to be close, and I sent her with the backpack, up to Tanner Trail, then six miles back down the mountain to Oak Creek Grade at the Trailhead to find someone with a cellphone to call the sheriff. I found Troy lying facedown in the creek his buttocks and back of his head barely sticking out of the water. The coroner and i agreed he must have died on his feet struggling to get out during the storm to save the boys. The boys ran out of wood and tried to step in his tracks and climb 300 feet up to the ridge to follow his track and finally succumbed to hypothermia. Allyn invited me to join the search and my horse and I put on some miles. I learned that Allyn had fired a handyman several miles away at Allyn's campground. He had remained in the area, and his daughter later called Allyn and said her father had been arrested previously for pedophilia. He has since died. There was a homeless encampment comprised of a few tents several hundred feet above the trail. It was almost the same elevation as where the body was found. Jaryd had indeed been running from the slower half of the Christian group to the faster half. Allyn did not know someone he left his son with was not watching him as closely as they should have. I saw official photos of Jaryd 's clothing, and it was in much too good a shape to have been part of a lion kill and weathered outside as long as it did. I have seen many lion kills over the years in Colorado's mountains and bear kills, too. They are both very messy eaters. Jaryd's clothing could not have survived such an attack and not be in pieces. I feel very strongly about the cause of Jaryd's death and to me it was by the most deadly predator of all, a human. I shared my thought with Allyn. Allyn wrote about me in his book about the search as well as a friend of mine, a fellow former Green Beret Seaux LaReaux, also a well-known tracker. Allyn used fake names for Seaux and me. Blessings, Don Bendell

[@janiesippel225]

What the HELL were these adults thinking. When I would hike with my children when they were young, I kept a very close eye on them because anything can happen. Such a sad story.

[@nvtruant5994]

I was a Search and Rescue member for 17 years on the winter survival team. Yes, in the late stages of hypothermia you might experience the sensation of being hot and remove clothing but I’ve never heard of anyone changing their confused mind and put them back on again. The fact that his pants were on inside out is very disturbing. No wild animal did that.

[@annatanneberger1]

@nvtruant5994 Kids don't regulate their own comfort by putting extra clothes on, so I don't think a kid in hypothermia would take his clothes off. I don't think the kid was found fully clothed - they found the clothes lying around - and the pants were inside out - like it had been peeled off hastily. Yes, a wild animal could have done that. Like my dog peels off the plastic from a packaged food item not intended for him.

[@Awake-ck5bh]

It seems to me he took his clothes off probably due to hypothermia. Kids step out of there pants turning them inside out at that age using there feet to step out of them. The fact that there was no blood, bodily fluids or decomposition soiling the clothing would lend to to thought he was no longer wearing them upon his death. Just an observation.

[@annatanneberger1]

​@@Awake-ck5bh Animals kill instantly, bites leave puncture marks that close again and bleed very little, unlike being slashed with a knife or a bullet wound, that destroys blood vessels. They kill instantly with a bite to the neck and a quick shake. Dead people don't bleed. Dragging the kid to a lair, would peel off some of the clothes. Body fluids would decompose and be washed away. They did not do a forensic examination of the clothes.

[@karenwillis6680]

I don’t think reports said they were put back on. In fact, it said they found only a tooth and piece of skull. So clearly, if the pants were found, it was not on the body.

[@GoddessTheOldeGodd]

They never found him! Just his sweater, pants, his clean shoes, and one single tooth placed perfectly on top a log.

[@joshuapatrick682]

Pro tip, if you encounter a young child who appears ahead of a larger group, try and get the child to wait til the group catches up? What are we doing otherwise people?

[@tinahochstetler2189]

And call out to the larger group. "Hey, somebody's wandering off!" The parent or other adult that's responsible for the child will then notice their child has wandered off.

[@facetiouslyinsolent8313]

I have heard this story from multiple sources and the thing that sticks out the most was the giant lack of common sense. Walking around a mall is more than most 3-year-olds can handle. Taking a boy that young on a hike with strangers is just plain idiocy. I'm sorry to all the churchgoers that have their heads in the clouds but a church group is the last bunch of people I would ever leave a small child with.

[@Plentiy]

Usually I would say this was clearly an animal attack but the groups behavior was just so weird - they had an unsupervised child with them and spontaneously decided to change their plan without telling the parent and took a 3 year old hiking on a trail without an obvious endpoint as Kyle said. It would be interesting to know how they decided to change plans, who suggested it. Because this reads as if a different kind of predator might have seen a chance to attack the boy and then act as if he went missing on the trail. The adults didn't know each other and didn't stay together as a group so no one might have noticed if one of them disappeared for a while.

[@steveescher1554]

Agreed

[@Yosetime]

There's no way any of those hikers could have carried that child over 500ft uphill, do the deed, then return and nobody noticed him missing. The police would have interviewed every one of those people and there are no reports of any of them missing for any period of time. They would have been the first suspects and none of them came up as suspects. I know people want to go the darker route, but the Mountain Lion theory is the only one that makes any sense. And is why there was only one scream. The lion will take it's prey by the neck, suffocating it, and drag it uphill to a safe storage spot. And that's what he did. It's sad. But a foreseeable ending with an unattended 3 year old in the wilderness. After 4 years in the elements, it's not surprising that the scene was scattered and with little DNA evidence. The whole thing is sad but it was on the Dad for letting this kid go in the first place.

[@pixpusha]

I smell foul play. But then again I know too much about the type of world we live in.

[@whims6278]

I want to know who suggested that day hike as a sudden change of plans once two small children were involved. That'd be the first place I'd look.

[@Ninchennase]

I want to look at everybody in the group who's an adult and agreed to that. Nobody in their right mind decides to take someone else's kids on a hike without their knowledge. Not at that age. 10 year old, okay. 3 and 6 no way.

[@whims6278]

​@@NinchennaseI agree- that is a very young age. I go for easy nature walks with my 5yo frequently but she still struggles with mountain hikes. I'd not take on that responsibility for someone else's child. Good point

[@B0nd3n]

@@whims6278 plus they desided to split up too if its the same person you know who the murderer is

[@Tampafan33]

Yeah who the hell actually thinks this isnt a kidnapping situation?? It’s way too obvious

[@13donstalos]

@@Ninchennase 15 miles is too far, even for a 10 yo

[@LATERZA00]

Been watching your videos and started exercising. Somehow I felt the will to stop smoking and go hike again. Thanks man.

[@KyleHatesHiking]

awesome to hear, keep it up!

[@LATERZA00]

​@@KyleHatesHiking🤜🤛

[@cwd243]

@@growinglifeorganic940 thru hiked the AT and PCT. Smoked the whole time. Rolled my own to save weight. Nothing like blowing by a day hiker drenched in patagucci and dryer sheets on an accent smelling like liquid ass and puffing a cigarette. The looks you get are priceless...

[@KBlanca513]

It’s very possible an animal turned the clothes inside out. Watch videos of running of the bulls where the runners don’t clear out of the way, or anytime a bull attacks a human, often the person is picked up and tossed and their pants are pulled down or off and end up inside-out. A cougar scavenging a small child’s body can easily pull the pants off inside-out.

[@mirabellaolson6410]

Remember in Australia, dingos took a child out of a tent at a campsite, and dragged it off. The clothes were found on the ground and because of that, they blamed the mother. Sadly, they prosecuted her 2x's and later found more items exonerating her. How sad the whole mishap was!

[@norcalbowhunter3264]

@@mirabellaolson6410yup because kids often wear ill fitting clothes and being dragged will cause them to pull off. Anyone who remembers being a kid, or has kids, or just knows about friction could figure this out. There were signs of a mountain lion in the area, everything about this can be easily explained as a mountain lion attack, and a kid walking alone in the woods would be easy prey for a mountain lion we KNOW was in the area. Like the old saying goes. “If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

@@norcalbowhunter3264 Occam's razor.

[@lizhall5538]

I love how humble you are in your telling of the stories. You don't assume anything, just tell the story very well.

[@Jess-vl9ks]

I’ve heard this story before. You were very thorough with it! Being in the woods scares me bc of stories like this! *subscribed now. 😊

[@thezirons]

I have always thought that it was most likely a mountain lion attack. The lion tracks near the boys footprints is what really solidified that theory for me.

[@freefornow2652]

I think when you are out in the wild you should assume that mountain lions and bears are watching YOU ! The trails are used by wild animals as well. The animals know the area better than ANY hiker.

[@joieb340]

Poor baby boy! May he rest in peace.

[@amandab6835]

I cannot fathom how a parent lets their children go off with strangers.

[@Suzi64grad]

I would have never assumed the child was with a group of people without keeping the boy with me until I made contact with them, and made sure he was safe! The fishermen really dropped the ball, as well as the people watching him.

[@LB-lt3pz]

The fishermen killed him.

[@theCosmicQueen]

@@LB-lt3pz could be. after they used and abused him?

[@LB-lt3pz]

@@theCosmicQueen for sure!

[@danielapaul6753]

I don't blame the parents, but why do you take other people's children with you as a group and why change the route without informing the parents

[@matthewmosier8439]

It wasn't 2023. This was (mostly) before cell phones and other modern communication was an everyday thing and everybody was talking constantly all of the time online. Kids raised themselves a lot more in 1999. I would know because I grew up in the 90's. The odds that the group had a working cell phone in the location they were in are fairly slim, as would be the odds that they would just find a pay phone out there and tell his parents the change in plans

[@merlingt1]

@@matthewmosier8439lack of technology isn’t an excuse for blatant negligence

[@kristengottula9337]

​@@matthewmosier8439it wasn't 1955 either. Although we now live in the era of helicopter parents, these circumstances are still on the odd side for '99.

[@ivanvarykino8202]

Trusting my 3 and 6 year old children with a "Christian Singles" group that has no familial connection? Nope. Such a sad story.

[@matthewmosier8439]

@@merlingt1 It wasn't negligence. The men fishing obviously didn't see any need for concern. This story is about something mysterious and highly unexpected happening to a kid. To assume that he was not being properly cared for means that you aren't aware of the numerous instances of people, including children, disappearing in these kind of situations, sometimes literally right under their parent's noses. (Missing 411 disappearences) Those prove that no matter how well looked after a person is, they can disappear in an instant.

[@carebear5394]

I’m so heartbroken by this. I can’t help but wonder if he walked past 2 women fishing if they wouldn’t have stopped him. It’s hard to imagine the fisherman just letting him go. Even with a nearby group. Once when camping I was cooking breakfast and my husband took my oldest to the bathroom, my youngest wondered behind my husband unknown to him. He quickly out walked her and she just continued to walk. A lovely lady found her, grabbed her by the hand and started walking in the direction she came. By now we’re franticly looking for her- I ran in one direction, my husband in the other. The lady found my husband first but wouldn’t leave until she verified with me he was the dad. I’m so thankful to that amazing women to this day, for finding my daughter and caring enough to verify her dad. Of course my daughter yelling “Mommy!!!!!”

[@russellharvey7096]

Yeah, it's the men's fault. Please.

[@Ed-ym4tu]

​@@russellharvey7096meh, she's right. Most women would have latched onto him until the group arrived and many would have told them it's not ok to let him get so far ahead. I would have been just like the two men and laughed at his independence.

[@annatanneberger1]

No, I wouldn't make a sexist thing out of it. They could see the other adults. I'm a woman, and I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Also I'm a hiker and a vixen for keeping the party together. They seemed to be together at that moment.

[@ronniemead805]

@@russellharvey7096 it is not their fault, but they knew the dangers of the wilderness and see a small child walking alone should have given them pause, not go walking off into the woods.

[@andreahl3494]

I doubt there were no women hiking in that group with them. It's a bad case of complacency that led to the tragedy, irregardless of gender.

[@nate_d376]

This tragedy has always haunted me. Especially when my son was young, I always made sure to keep him within sight. I hope the father has found some peace. And shame on those couples, they didn't take any responsibility for the child when he was with them.

[@russellharvey7096]

Wasn't it a singles hiking group? Perhaps singles who don't have kids are less attuned to the need to look after an unaccompanied child.

[@annatanneberger1]

@@russellharvey7096 Every hiker is responsible for every other hiker in a group that started out together. Regardless of age or fitness.

[@ronniemead805]

too busy making googly eyes at each other.

[@esterrios3998]

What was the matter with the boy's father?! He did not know any better? The boy was only 3yrs old! He let him go with a 6yrs old and a bunch of total strangers! What's up with that father??

[@yesnonotexactly25]

They weren't strangers, they were people he'd known for years from church who had helped out with his kids before

[@dmjack2921]

Here's what everyone seems to be overlooking - why, if this was a remote trail, sparsely traveled, why would the 2 fishermen let a 3yo kid wander off alone?? Why did they not insist on the boy staying with them til the group caught up with him?

[@musingwithreba9667]

How absolutely horrifying 😢 no matter what caused his death, the poor wee boy would have been terrified. I cant imagine what his family have had to endure all these years. My heartfelt condolences to his father and sister 🙏 😢 💔

[@theCosmicQueen]

What about his MOTHER ?

[@musingwithreba9667]

@theCosmicQueen well, as his mother is never mentioned in the video, and his father is said to be a member of the singles club, I figure a mother is no linger in the picture. Either deceased herself, or 🤷‍♀️ I'm not at all familiar with the backstop here, I've never heard about Jared before seeing this video. If his mother is alive and grieving her son, then yes of course, my most sincere condolences go to her as well.

[@amywill9185]

So freaking sad! How are you going to say a) ”Run along tiny boy! We are adults but take no charge of this situation”. Or b) “run ahead little man! We love you but can’t possibly watch you closely out in the rugged wilderness!” Kids are precious, need to be taken care of . Poor parents and poor sister, prayers.

[@michaelridenour7916]

You're awesome dude.. thanks for sharing this video.. I hadn't heard of this case before.. great content.. keep it up .

[@Coffeewithdavid6275]

This is the first one of your videos I've seen. I subscribed. Keep up the intriguing content....

[@daybird2]

I've just completely enjoyed two of your videos for the first time. You have a great knack for telling a story. I would feel very guilty if I didn't subscribe. I wish you all the best in meeting your goals with many new subscribers. You deserve it. I'll be watching for more new stories soon!

[@lawrencehaley1084]

This is crazy. If someone let there kids go with me that means they are as important as if they were mine. They will be in my sight always.

[@Sunset.Rising]

@lawrencehaley1084 I agree as well. This trip to a fish pond seems to be a scheduled event, so I'm assuming that means there's probably a group leader. The group leader is then responsible for everyone in his/her charge including unaccompanied minor children. The easiest solution would be to require for all events, outings, etc. for all minor children to have adult supervision. At all public and private parking lots or parking structures the owners don't assume any responsible for items stolen out of cars or car damage for anyone parking in their parking structures or parking lots. It's just as easy to state this same requirement for minor children. Why not? It would prevent the need to ever hear again, "Well, I thought someone else was responsible for watching that child since the child isn't mine."

[@monaw6484]

I know right?!? I can’t imagine just taking them off into the wilderness instead

[@whitneyferoce4870]

Wait so a group of strangers takes 2 children with them on a hike where noone took responsibility for the wellbeing of the children in the group in the woods near water on 15 miles of trail?...who does this? How can a whole group of adults lack forethought! Wow this was a completely preventable horrific disaster.

[@tiffanym4202]

The member of the group that invited the children should have been responsible.

[@russellharvey7096]

The father should have made sure a particular person was tasked with watching each kid.

[@ronniemead805]

@@russellharvey7096 Why send your kids with strangers?

[@cailin5309]

The dad is probably internally beating himself up everyday over this .. no need to keep kicking the man while he’s down. It’s just a huge teachable moment for other adults to never let a child go unsupervised even if it ruins your good time

[@barbarabatchelor268]

He was with a church group for singles. He knew these people well. They told Dad they were going to the fish hatchery down the road. They changed plans and they didn't let the dad know. He would not have let them go if he knew they were going on a 15 mile hike.

[@clm2417]

Thank you for another well told story. It’s a sad one, but it was tactfully told. Your storytelling gets better and better.❤

[@NanaBren]

I have read a lot of these comments. The church group was entrusted with 2 children for an outing. At some point, the group members decided that a 15 mile hike would be more fun. As adults, they should have recognized that this plan was too hard for a 3 and 6 year old child. The group should have contacted the father and returned the children to him before leaving to hike. They neglected to do that. Then this group of people started up the trail. The girl stayed close to the adults, but the boy was allowed to run ahead of the group. No one person who was present at that event told the child to stay with the adults. The child was on a great adventure and along the way, two men spoke to him, but because they could see people on the trail, assumed they were aware of the child’s location. Many people would have stayed with him until the group arrived, but they felt confident enough that he was being watched that they continued their journey. They did see the child go in the direction of campsite 2. The men never spoke to the group on the trail. Eventually, the group realized that the child was missing. Instead of leaving someone behind to search and direct searchers, they all chose to leave and go report the child to authorities. Said authorities did some searching and found nothing. A helicopter crashed, injuring one person and killing the crew of rescuers. Attention was now focused on the crash. The father and volunteers with trained dogs were denied access to the area. The search was called off because of hunting season and the child was presumed dead. Remains and clothing were recovered 4 years later in a rockfield above campsite 2. This was a series of mistakes by every single adult involved that day. I’m not sure why the father allowed his kids to go with the group without his supervision. I’m not sure why the group decided that 2 kids could hike 15 miles, and why they didn’t contact the father. I’m not sure who was responsible for the group dynamics, but someone was organizing the hike. I’m not sure if a person was asked to help watch the child. What I am certain of, is that a 3 year old boy died horribly and everyone involved was responsible. Each bad decision was a nail in his little coffin. I believe that when we die, we answer for our actions in life. I pray that in the end justice will come for all those involved. 😢

[@annataymond9529]

Kinda sounds like literally every adult in the story plays a role. There were so many chances for someone to step in and stop this. I’m shocked that no adult did anything here.

[@valerielhw]

I think that the poor little _unsupervised_ boy simply wandered off, got lost, and died of natural causes. The takeaway from this is to ALWAYS watch small children when taking them into the woods!

[@ram_bam]

He was almost certainly snatched from the trail by a mountain lion, killed either immediately via a broken neck, or more slowly by asphyxiation, and then taken to a secondary location to be eaten. There's no way a three year old would have made it to where his remains were found without being taken there by an animal. The Colorado mountains are teeming with mountain lions, and were even more so back in 1999 when this occurred. Mountain lions are known to watch their prey and wait for a smaller animal to break from the group before attacking. It's happened several times exactly like this (look up history of mountain lion attacks on Wikipedia, and read the ones involving children). It's sad, but a 3 year old has no place in the Rocky mountains all alone. I really feel for the father, who thought his son was simply being taken to a fish hatchery by a group of responsible adults. My mantra is this - never trust someone else to love your child as deeply as you do or to protect your child with the vigilance that you do. Btw I went to college in Boulder and did a lot of hiking and mountain climbing in Colorado. Even in the foothills near campus, if you pay attention, there are mountain lion tracks everywhere. If you are hiking in the Colorado wilderness, there is a very good chance you're being watched by a cougar.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

No, he almost certainly got lost/injured and died of hypothermia/etc. Animal attacks on humans are vanishingly rare. Oh, and in case you didn't watch the video, no mountain lion DNA whatsoever was found on his remains.@@ram_bam

[@Suzanneyhearts]

It seems to me that the most likely reason for his pants being inside out is the phenomena of feeling super hot when you reach a level of extreme hypothermia. I can't recall the technical term, but it's common for people with hypothermia to suddenly become delirious and feel like they're overheating. So he probably took his own pants off and that's how the pants were inside out.

[@littlebighead15]

paradoxical undressing

[@Janjones7735]

The most likely reason is they started inside out. But this is not far behind.

[@norcalbowhunter3264]

Do you remember being dragged on carpet as a kid? Do you remember how it would pull your pants off? Kids wear ill fitting clothing. Being dragged will cause them to slide off even on carpet. Moreso if you're being dragged over rocks that will snag your waist band. Know what could kill someone without leaving blood and will drag them across the ground? A maintain lion. Do you know that the found evidence of a mountain lion in that same exact area? But yeah, it was probably anything else but the most logical explanation. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a turkey....

[@lh3540]

I distrust that group even more knowing they were trusted church members. There were some real slimy church cults in rural Colorado in the 90s and child abuse and other gross behavior was assumed.

[@jenniferg6818]

thank you. My lord. Pun intended. I blame all parties. Who tf sends their toddler off with a large group of adult "singles"? face palm.

[@Tofu_Pilot]

Xtian cultists are always a clear and present danger.

[@ram_bam]

Same. Christians are idiots.

[@FRLN500]

Key words in your statement, "child abuse and other gross behavior was assumed." Assumed by who? I would sure hate to have idiots that make assumptions on a jury. Wouldn't you?

[@davidhughes4089]

​​@@jenniferg6818the only time I would have sent my son off with a group of people at that age is if they were family, and even then I would still want to be there in case they get upset, have an accident and need changing etc. it's not like you can relax while they're on the trip anyway, you're just going to be wondering what they're up to and if they're ok If there were mountain lions around 😱😱😱 I'd want to have them in arms reach and packing heat

[@jerryphillips6809]

Cougars are stealthy and powerful predators. They will stock prey from behind, grasping them with their forearms while biting at the neck or head. Their jaws are incredibly powerful, strong enough to crush bone and render their prey dead on the spot. They're also are known to cache and cover their prey and return after their victim is well "seasoned." A fisherman I know, watch a cougar drag a full grown deer up a mountain bluff, from his boat. He said "it was smooth and effortless, like it had hydraulic power." In the attack, the child's pants could have been pulled down and this tragic event could have been relatively blood free. A very sad story, thanks Kyle.

[@onceuponabrokenheart]

Who in their right mind encounters a child like this and let’s him continue on his way! I would’ve made sure he stayed with me until the party they could see caught up. They could’ve saved that little boys life 😭

[@kissedbysun2517]

Ok, so they wait and the party catches up and they go on, still not watching where the boy goes...why are so many people blaming the fishermen?

[@RogueT-Rex8468]

@@kissedbysun2517because they are still a touch at fault in this instance. Common human decency, especially with adults experienced in the dangers of a forest, would not leave a small very edible child in the open alone. An animal attack can come in a blink when an opening his had. So people are mad they didn’t step over and basically body guard until they were safely among their own- and in this case, had they actually done that, they may have stirred up some much needed questions and maybe even a wake up call. Whose kid is this? Where did he come from? Who’s watching him? No straight answer would surely have made someone rethink what needed to be done in that instance. But…. Those are all just hopeful what ifs.

[@Red_Queens_Jubilee_Club]

I recently read that when in hypothermia people sometimes take off their clothes. It seems the brain becomes confused and the clothing being on or off doesn’t impact human thinking and behavior.

[@karliereddfan]

A toddler is not gonna remove and fold his clothes, though. Law enforcement failed this boy. I feel for the dad.

[@cwd243]

It's called "paradoxical undressing". Never heard of folded clothes tho. Especially not a 3 year old...

[@Red_Queens_Jubilee_Club]

@@karliereddfan sadly that seems to be the case in a lot of missing persons cases.

[@Red_Queens_Jubilee_Club]

@@cwd243 thank you. My brain was suffering from… what is that term memory itis

[@Batise]

I moved to Fort Collins the first week of Oct. 1999. Immediately I heard about Jerod's situation. I don't have any further info, but I've heard a lot of speculation about it. I personally believe the mountain lion theory. Upon catching his prey, the boy, a cougar will take their "kill" to a cave or secure place which is almost always very hidden. Over the years, the clothes could have been dragged by any number of animals. Also, with it being the beginning of winter, the blood would have been rinsed off by rain and snow. I've never forgotten this little boy or the very sad situation that occurred.

[@mxblyxky]

Exactly, the child without specific supervision entered and left the trail, as in the case of the encounter with the fishermen. The cougar is an extremely opportunistic animal and a three-year-old child is a potential prey. He may have accompanied the child and attacked him when he saw him alone because he had gotten lost or strayed too far from the trail. You are hired to my team of amateur detectives.

[@Ed-ym4tu]

I'll agree with everything you said except the rain washing blood off. Blood would stain and there would be microscopic traces that would have been detected. That's my biggest problem with the lion theory. There should have been blood all over the clothes.

[@annatanneberger1]

@@Ed-ym4tu A lion or dog bite leaves puncture marks. It actually pushes veins and arteries away, and then closes again. Unlike a knife wound that cuts through veins and arteries, or a bullet wound that tears through the flesh at high speed. Predators do not want struggling prey - they will kill quickly. One bite to the neck and a quick shake. Once you're dead your heart stops and you don't bleed. I'm not surprised by the lack of blood. There would have been blood at the time, but not as much as you'd expect. Not as much as in a knife fight or even a fist fight, where someone is punched in the nose. I'm sure there would still have been some blood on the clothes, though not soaked (like in a knife fight). They did not say that the clothes had been forensically examined. Blood is organic so it would have been broken down by the elements.

[@ea8269]

A 3 years old child should be with his parents not with bunch of other people.

[@ronniemead805]

and if he was, he should have been placed in the care of a responsible individual who would agree to watch over him. Why on earth would he be walking by himself, he can barely walk as a toddler.

[@ea8269]

@@ronniemead805 Exactly.

[@attemptsweremade8569]

This case is why when my partner and I went hiking to a waterfall in the UP, when we crossed over a high path that was worn away and you had to use the roots of this tree to climb over this cliff, there was thise family behind us with a small kid, we offered to help get them across and stayed until the parents caught up. Id rather be a weirdo standing near by and insisting the kid stays close than somehow being the last person to see a kid in the woods

[@KimOfDrac]

My theory is that the ones who found him had something to do with it... It's just strange that they would talk about it and then a week after happen to spot a shoe that's even difficult to spot in the photos. It's like they knew it was there. And with so little remaining of his remains it's weird his clothes were there. The remains would also have been near impossible to spot compared to when they searched for him the first week. Something's fishy here. It feels like they waited for enough time to pass there would be no evidence left and then become the heroes who brought closure to the family.

[@trailrunner925]

not even 10 minutes into it, and I'm like "why/who would take a 3 year old on a 10 mile hike????"

[@megnakamura7652]

No one said that they planned to go the whole 10 miles.

[@allieg4011]

Since there were cougar tracks nearby, my guess is that a large cat got him. It would only take a few seconds for the cat to grab the 3 year old by the neck and run with him. The little boy would be easy game for a cougar to stalk and grab. The cougar would not attack groups of adults, but a child would be the right size. A 3 year old should always be closely watched in the wilderness, they are too small and young to take care of themselves. Double this in an area with large predators.

[@robertsandidge441]

As a 62 year old Colorado native and someone who has been up that trail numerous times backpacking and fly fishing the river let me enlighten you a bit. First this trail is far away form a major city (Ft. Collins) only true outdoorsman are going up there not many bad guys who would be there looking to grab a small boy. It’s very high in altitude the trail is NOT flat and easy going. Next, the scree field where he was found would be very dangerous and difficult for an experienced adult to climb. Even the trail that crosses it is pretty sketchy. But a very safe place for a cougar to hide its prey. Not to mention that Mountain Lion attacks happen in much less remote and populated areas. It’s very steep terrain, up high, fairly remote and susceptible to changing weather. No blood? Umm 4 years of very bad winter conditions and degradation. Pants inside out? Wait completely perfectly inside out or partially inside out. Not to mention how many other animals in 4 years got hold of the clothing and sniffed it rolled in it chewed on it in general messed around with it. I’m sorry but the most obvious cause is 98 percent the cause. In closing the ultimate cause of death is the IRRESPONSIBLE ACTS of the adults on the trip.

[@sammyday3341]

You’re spot on I believe. The most straightforward answer is usually the correct one. People prefer to skip the logical answer because they like conspiracy and mystery.

[@ashleywheeler5068]

The bystander effect. Everyone thinks someone else is doing it. But why did the father let the kids go with the group without ensuring there was at least 1 person actually watching the kids, not just expecting EVERY STRANGER that went on the hike to help watch them. One of the hikers could've knocked him out stashed him and came back later to get him. Cause at first the police thought they'd find him so they didn't really put in enough man power into it early enough, he police were to over confident in that he'd be found. Which would've given someone time to move him.

[@PantheraOnca60]

I've lived and hiked in Colorado for over 50 years, and spent several years in law enforcement. Of course it was a mountain lion. These and other large cat species are well known for hauling killed prey long distances up hillsides -- even cliffs -- to avoid scavengers and/or other predators. A well traveled trail would be precisely what a mountain lion would want to get its prey away from. Mountain lions kill by biting the back of the neck and breaking it. Once the cat had taken Jared's body uphill and away from threats, it would have pulled off his clothing in order to consume the body. Grasping the pants at the waist and pulling towards the feet would pull them inside out. As for mountain lion DNA, the clothing sat in the elements for years; hair would easily be washed or blown away by the elements. And not finding mountain lion blood just makes sense; a three year old would be pretty unlikely to draw blood from his attacker. Any crime scene contains elements that don't seem to fit. The cat explanation makes perfect sense.

[@stanleyhape8427]

So the dad just handed over his kid to strangers and something bad happened? Well that just sounds too unreal to be true. 👀👀

[@nikkimcdonald4562]

I had a coworker that would bring in her young kids and let them run roughshod throughout the 6 story hospital completely unsupervised.

[@terrismith5087]

Yes , that is suspicious

[@5050TM]

They weren't strangers to him at all. They were very close as described.

[@deecawford]

I never knew the group was going to a fishery first off. I was caught off guard learning this and I’ve watched many documentaries on this child. Thanks Kyle I love learning and so wish there were more answers

[@larrytidwell6827]

This story has disturbed from the time it happened. I would look at a mounted cougar at a local Walmart store and realize that a stealthy creature like this could have easily take Jarred; however, due to the absence of forensic evidence and after reading David Paulides account in the Missing 411 books, I am totally baffled. The fear of the unknown haunts my mind!

[@karliereddfan]

But a cougar doesn't remove clothing and folds it though.

[@kimswansonlinner6889]

So sad. The groups and dad were at fault for not designating guardians of BOTH children. Also, not good trail etiquette to split up...who else may have wandered off, gotten hurt, couldnt keep up. It is customary with children in the group especially that occassional head counts be done! How could they do that if they split up??? So sad that the fishermen didnt ask more questions if Jarod AND the hiker groups. That is NOT NORMAL for a 3 year old to be alone in the wilderness. They should have verified that some adult was in charge of this toddler!!! I have been in 2 county sheriff search and rescue teams for a combined 15 years. I am appauled to hear of nonchalant groups like these not taking responsibility for EVERYONE'S safety. So sad.

[@all-s0rts]

@@karliereddfan dragging could easily remove pants and turn them inside out especially since they were pajama bottoms with the elastic around the ankles.

[@Ninchennase]

@@kimswansonlinner6889 The dad didn't even know his kids were going on a hike. What kind of group takes two kids without parents along with them without an adult committing to be responsible? The poor dad thought the kids were just checking out a fishery with the group.

[@karliereddfan]

@@all-s0rts not those fitted pants, and in that manner. They were uniformly laid out, not tangled up or thrown about in a chaotic way. His sweater was also folded. His sneakers were not weathered. The place where he was found had high visibility and had been checked and trekked for years before his gear and a partial skull turned up. If you look at this case closely, there was no way that baby got up there on his own, and there was no blood anywhere or bite marks or shredded sweater to point to a big predator.

[@FlyhighLittleDrone]

Moral to the story: if you see a kid all by themselves keep them close until you find their parents.

[@Kiraiko44]

I wanna say that the infamous baby eating dingos incident in Australia had some similar confusing evidence that made people think it couldn't have been dingos and that the baby was killed by the mother. One of the major factors making people believe it couldn't have been dingos was that there was little to no blood found anywhere, not where he was taken, not on his clothes, and not where they were found. The clothes were also fairly intact, people thought the shredding and ripping looked purposeful, believing that wild animals would have torn his clothes to shreds.

[@Billy-The-Goat]

its beyond belief that as a group of people no one within the group kept a eye out on this child for his safety. I dont care if a child is mine or not, that the fact there a child in my group I would keep eyes open for safety sake, I would hate to lose any child out of pure neglect. We all have a collective duty to look out for our children.

[@ZUCKERWATTEQ]

I thought the same. Eleven people...

[@VeganWellnessTribe]

I’ve heard of taking the kiddos camping, but never hiking. They’re too precious to be put in such risky situations before they’re prepared for it.

[@anlicsceadu]

Hiking is great for kids! It's especially good to start them young, because they get used to it and enjoy it more. I took my daughter hiking in a carrier at first, and then small nature trail hikes when she was old enough to walk. She now hikes up mountains with us (her parents) at age 8. She's developed a great love for the outdoors because of it. Of course, I never let her go off on her own. But with proper supervision, it's great for kiddos!

[@stephanielloyd4053]

Short hikes are great for kids! I'm in the UK and we take our boys every Sunday for a good walk in the woods, we probably walk for a couple of hours, staying together the whole time, it's a lovely thing to do with your kids, great exercise and gives them a love and respect for the outdoors.

[@naughtyorgneiss]

yup, when my child was 3 we still used a backpack with a seat for them. Totally crazy to take a THREE YEAR OLD that far hiking. They aren't going to make even 5 miles and you're going to have to carry them back to the car. Done this many times when my kid was a toddler. When they're done, they just stop and you and whoever you're with better be able to carry 30-40lbs back to the car.

[@UNKLELUKE86]

I'm really sorry to hear about Jaryd Atadero's tragic death. Losing a young child in such circumstances is devastating and my thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.

[@lisaramirez1714]

Some advice someone gave me was "no one will ever watch your kid as good as you". Beach, Park, Hike wherever.

[@lisaramirez1714]

I've heard that saying and have maintained it all my life. And I believe it's true. You're always looking out for your kid but if someone else is watching them he's not used to it he's not going to do as good a job as you.

[@Gr8tBlueHeron]

In regards to the cougar theory, it is possible that there could be no blood on the clothing. With a child that small the cat could have killed him with a bone-breaking or strangling bite to the neck without the canines even puncturing the skin. A cougar could easily carry a boy that small. In regards to the clothing, cougars are meticulous in plucking fur or feathers off their prey or straight up peeling the hide back before eating. It is not unusual that a cougar would strip the clothes off a human before eating. There would, however, be cougar DNA all over the clothing, so that still doesn't add up. I don't know anything about that science, but if it is resonable to expect the DNA to persist for 4 years, then it should have been there had a cat done it.