When people go missing in the mountains: 2 Unsolved Cases

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What happens when someone sets off into the mountains, but never returns? This video lays out some of the responses and searches that result when people go missing in the backcountry. I follow two real life cases that happened one month apart in the Sea to Sky region, one in Squamish and one in Pemberton, both happened in the same year, 2010. I visited both places and trails where the disappearances occurred to get a feel for the areas and see the landscape for myself. As with all unsolved cases, there is more questions than answers.
Thanks to Mark Keenan for joining me to Valentine Lake, and taking some clips.
Thanks for watching!
Video and editing by Luke Gibson.
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References:
The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman
/ the-cold-vanish
Mamquam Pass/Fools Gold Route, Squamish, Tyler Wright
www.piquenewsm...
forums.clubtre...
Squamish SAR call stats
squamishsar.or...
North Shore Rescue calls in 2021
www.nsnews.com...
Valentine Lake, Pemberton, Jonathan Jette and Rachael Bagnall
www.piquenewsm...
www.piquenewsm...
Music: (in order of appearance)
Operator by Jason Staczek
freemusicarchi...
Rough Landing by Andrew Odd
freemusicarchi...
Unknown Phenomenon by Andrew Odd
freemusicarchi...
Licensed under Creative Commons ATTRIBUTION-NODERIVATIVES 4.0 INTERNATIONAL
Fringe Weaver by Nihilore
www.nihilore.com
• Nihilore - Fringe Weaver
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
creativecommon...

[@milesru]

Great video man. I wish SAR would make a report after bodies are found with some information as to how they assume it happened. I think myself and the public can learn alot from these cases.

[@lifeofluke]

Yeah, I agree, the first incident that comes to mind is the Mt. Atwell 3 missing climbers and subsequent month long search and eventual retrieval of the bodies last spring. There was so many questions there as to what happened. Every one of these incidents, although unfortunate, is an opportunity to learn from others mistakes so as not to repeat them.

[@stupetw]

This is an excellent subject to explore. A lot going on on the BC Triangle of missing people. Nice video Luke, as always.

[@scottculver]

The best thing you can do is helping to let others know about these cases, this is very important. Great work Luke.

[@andybiker-hiker4343]

Well done, Luke. I recall both cases vividly and having had prior experience forest engineering experience in the area, I took a keen interest in the Spetch Ck situation. A heartbreaking situation and very mysterious as well.

[@emilygibson6275]

Beautiful video Luke and.!:)

[@twentiethcenturyboy6328]

Great to see a new video from you my friend. Sadly, this one plucks at the heart strings. Very kind of you to make this video. Interesting facts and tribute to some fellow hikers. 😢

[@lifeofluke]

Thanks Alan! Yeah this is not a happy video, but rather a tragic one. It's sad whenever someone is lost unexpectedly.

[@ryansmith7974]

I stumbled on that plaque for Tyler I was out exploring alone. When you get out there at a point you realize your insignificants and frailty, and yet you're pulled forward by a sense of wonder and curiosity.

[@lifeofluke]

Yup, the vast and tall mountains sure do make one feel tiny!

[@MageBlackstone]

Beautiful awareness video. Thanks for making it!

[@nanchesca3950]

I remember that year well because i was really getting into hiking at that time. I hope one day they are found and the families can have closure. Great video and great soundtrack👍🏻

[@pinebearclub]

I often wonder when my buddy and I would just up and leave on weekend adventures in the backcountry of Whistler what could have happened. I mean back in the early 90’s there was nothing but sheer wilderness and little to no tech. We had a concept of a route and no maps, relying on memory alone as we were too poor to buy proper topo maps to bring with us. We were young and dumb, full of energy and little common sense, and rarely told friends of our destination and eta. So hats off to those search and rescue men and women who risk their lives and health for the lost, injured and missing. For it could have been me, but my card wasn’t drawn that day. Bryan from Gambier

[@lifeofluke]

Yep, you had to be more self reliant that's for sure!

[@randtimmer1213]

Excellent video! Enjoyed it.

[@lifeofluke]

Thanks Rand!

[@andrewmacaulay1585]

Thank you. We seem to forget as time passes by.. the search should never stop for those that Presently explore these areas by others. New Brunswick Canada

[@lifeofluke]

Yep, it never hurts to keep an eye out for evidence while hiking or out and about, sometimes a discovery happens which does lead to closure in these cold cases.

[@BackCountryWrenching]

Amazing video, keeping the memory of these people alive. Hopefully someday they will be found.

[@Nihilore]

awesome vid Luke

[@lifeofluke]

Really appreciate that! Keep on making the epic tracks, you have a knack for perfect, moody, suspenseful, and atmospheric music!

[@wanderlustinyyc]

Very well done video, maybe one of your best!

[@599miata]

So sad for them, Luke.

[@lifeofluke]

Yes it is very sad. It's harder on the families than anyone else.

[@agesadventures]

Yeah, that totally looked like a boxer! That's an awesome plaque for Tyler. It's so easy to disappear or get lost in the forests we have. That is why I carry my Zoleo with me out there. It's not a guarantee of rescue, but it's certainly a good safety piece to have. We've had a number of people go missing on Vancouver Island. I always keep my eye out when I'm in the woods to see if there is anything that may be them or anything that looks out of place out there. Search and Rescue do a great job and it's nice to have them. It's good that you're telling these stories. It lets people know to be more careful out there.

[@bobgillis1137]

Interesting and likely tragic. I hope some answers eventuate for the families. I haven't done extensive hiking like yourself, but certainly enough to know that it is hard to underestimate the natural risks posed by wilderness. The remoteness compounds such risk. When hiking alone, I tend to do less risky things, as even a sprained ankle far from help could pose a serious hazard to returning. My tenants in Kaslo had an incident that may have proved fatal if they were more remote or alone. The male in a couple had instinctively tried to protect his dog from a falling off an edge, only to fall and break his own collarbone on the nearby bottom. Had his wife not been a nurse or not been there at all, it may ended with dire results. Thanks for the vids.

[@ParkourBrian]

My heart still breaks for Ryan’s family after his Disappearance from Sun Peaks

[@lifeofluke]

Yeah, I remember that time and hearing all about that case as it progressed, and the days went on and on... very sad and tragic.

[@bartleygerba]

Nicely done..

[@lifeofluke]

Thanks!

[@lattakia3812]

Nice soundtrack

[@davidbrooks1724]

Crazy no clues on either.

[@lifeofluke]

Yes, the mystery is what drew me to these stories, just incredible that one can vanish without any trace!

[@bradmacdonald7626]

It's hard to say, the force of the water cannot be understated, the most likely scenario imo is he was a bear's dinner, maybe the couple too. RIP

[@lifeofluke]

Yes, it is a possibility at there are grizzlies in the area surrounding Pemberton, and they are capable of killing people, BUT then I still wonder why human remains were never found.

[@bradmacdonald7626]

@@lifeofluke You make a good point, and it’s a tough one to figure out. The terrain described in the article from The Squamish Chief (Aug. 25, 2010) sounds absolutely brutal: steep slopes, cliffs, dense vegetation, and fast-moving water. They found Tyler’s footprints in the creek bed near Bull Canyon and signs of a 15-meter slide path where may've tried to climb out but slipped. From there, he might have been swept further downstream, buried under debris, or ended up somewhere so remote that even SAR crews couldn’t reach it. Predation is definitely a possibility too, given the grizzlies in the area, but it’s strange that no remains or even personal items like clothing or gear were ever found.

[@betweenthepines4000]

Happens every week in the sea to sky. Luckily 999 of 1000 are generally found or recovered

[@conradcoolerfiend]

carry gps comms. nice video luke

[@hedsy]

Do you use any sort of gps emergency device like Garmin or Zoleo? I'm thinking of getting one but I dont know which option to choose.

[@lifeofluke]

Personally I don't have either, but a friend has used the Garmin inreach mini, which seems to work pretty well. The device cost itself isn't really the main issue for me, but the expensive cost of a plan to connect it to the satellite network.

[@betweenthepines4000]

Zoleo. It was $220 cdn and $22 per month. If needed, the best $22 a month you will spend.

[@alexkickscan]

I have a Garmin Inreach Mini. It's about ~$20/month which is a bit steep but I like the piece of mind I get from it. Just skip eating out once a month and you've paid it off.

[@lattakia3812]

​@@lifeoflukeYou can suspend the subscription & re-enable it later. This means that your monthly charges are $0 when it is suspended.

[@lifeofluke]

Ah ok, I didn't know zoleo was that affordable, thanks for letting me know!

[@timwalker6239]

consider the like button smashed.

[@keithquinn5624]

Nice vid, I’m local too, in between the mountains Saxifrage and Cayoosh…. Don’t go there. There is something there.

[@mylesbw10]

Something there? Can you elaborate..

[@keithquinn5624]

@ something watching you, Sasquatch

[@estebansimarrocliment4924]

Este no es un planeta seguro,como nos han contado,desconocemos a "los otros habitantes" la electrificación de las ciudades y pueblos nos contamina y a su vez protege de estos seres.Por resumir,las desapariciones en grandes bosques inexplicables son forzadas por estos seres,y en un número pequeño de casos por atravesar inconsciente y casualmente portales dimensionales.Logicamente,pueden ser también accidentes,ataques de animales,etc... Nunca, repito,nunca estéis a partir de las 15:00 en una zona boscosa,no urbanizada,o,habitada,al lado de un río o lago. Nunca,por favor.

[@relaxingnature2617]

good video ....BUT ....it is a mindboggling editing error not have included good maps with red arrows for every time you mentioned place names -- these names mean absolutely nothing without you showing us on the maps -- therefore this video is only half as effective in solving the mystery's than it wouldive been with good satellite and topo maps to attach to the story's as you tell them

[@lifeofluke]

these names don't mean absolutely nothing to those of us who are familiar with the area. Just put Squamish and Pemberton in google maps and have a look around

[@bxx7666]

Hiking in 2010 with no GPS in that wilderness is a death sentence if you're not an expert navigator

[@jondevaney6860]

Wrong. Being an adequate navigator, with a map and compass, would probably be enough. GPS units are not foolproof - batteries run out, and GPS units can get lost or destroyed (fall into lakes or down cliffs). I have 50 years of hiking experience, a lot of it off trail (thanks to my geology field work projects): map and compass bushwacking in northern Ontario boreal forest; forest walks by map (compass rarely needed) in south and north British Columbia; and summers spent mountain hiking in alpine tundra of the Arctic Islands. Most of this was done before GPS units were available, and I was an expert navigator. Besides navigation skills, being fit (endurance, agility, balance, coordination), healthy, and well nourished (hydrated, adequate carbohydrate intake) contribute to avoiding problems on difficult hikes. Knowing your route and terrain (from guidebooks, etc.) is obviously important. Accidents can happen though, even to the well prepared - experience helps in coping with bad events.

[@conradcoolerfiend]

@@jondevaney6860 gps is essential though going solo, in emergency situations. illness, injury etc.