JCPD: Missing man Mark ‘Shoestring’ Nichols found dead in Boone Lake

[@p2o8wer]

R.I.P. Hobo Shoestring!!!!

[@noneshere]

If he was found floating in freshwater that means he still had air in his lungs or stomach ? That would mean he didn't drown rite ? Very strange. I hope the autopsy report is released to the public.

[@user-vh1uc6in7b]

So Sorry.

[@johnmeskens5613]

Mark was a Army vet and has earned honors for his services.

[@leonblittle226]

He also lost several fingers in an accident on the railroad when he fell while dismounting on the move. Shoestring was a man of the Iron Road, he lived a hard life and was a true son of America.

[@Queenie_78]

@@leonblittle226While trespassing 🤔

[@TKKrueger-py5jb]

Prove it....

[@51-FS]

So no need for funeral donations seine he was a vet. That will take care of that?

[@bigiron8831]

​@@51-FS Neither the V.A. or S.S. will take care of it. Donations will help take care of his funeral expenses. 🙏

[@89firebird]

Amazing adventure he spent 30 years on the rails educated all his viewers rest in peace mark ❣️

[@terrybane6206]

Mark you did it your way to the end. Respect Sir. Rest In Peace Hobo Shoestring.

[@Boringunguy]

You think he wanted to drown to death?

[@hoyle7780]

@@Boringunguy Don't think that's what he means, he lived life his way until the end.

[@terrybane6206]

@@Boringunguy We will never know.

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

Yes

[@awesomeman8689]

He will be missed

[@carlmorgan8452]

😢 👋 ❤

[@aerodicus]

Too bad, such a nice and genuine guy. RIP Shoestring.

[@TKKrueger-py5jb]

😆🤪😜

[@bigiron8831]

​@@TKKrueger-py5jb LET'S GO DARWIN.....

[@cordyg4306]

​@TKKrueger-py5jb the #TBI needs to be looking at you very closely. Your channel is nothing but a channel of hate against him.

[@GH0ST_CLIPZ]

@@TKKrueger-py5jb lol you show a old picture of yourself like it’s attractive. Nah it just makes you look older than dirt man.

[@cordyg4306]

​@@TKKrueger-py5jb#JPCD

[@orpheusband]

Shoestring reached out to us several years ago to tell us how much he enjoyed our music growing up. He had family in our hometown of Worcester, Mass. Shoestring is with the Father now. Rest in peace, brother.

[@choossuck7653]

From Springfield. I remember when he came thru West Springfield yard. RIP HOBO🙏🙏🙏

[@jamie.777]

Worcester, wow

[@zer0deaths862]

Dude, been a major fan of Orpheus for decades growing up as well. I always think of Hobo Shoestring when I'm listening. Good on you guys. 👍👍👍

[@joshuawalters51]

Rest in peace shoestring you will be greatly missed😢

[@mikeyyoyo6464]

Damn!! Man was a legend he will be sorely missed, RIP HOBO SHOESTRING #

[@filippf12]

I may not have met you personally because I live thousands of kilometers away in Greece, but it is as if I have known you for years, you are the nicest person I have met in my life through the beautiful videos you made. Rest in peace Mark and someday I may meet you.

[@realmikeholman]

one of the last great Hobos of our time. Love you Shoestring.

[@Peter_Tissot]

He never got to be the Hobo President, but if i remember the story right, it was only because he himself declined it a couple of times.

[@koko2bware]

He will forever live in the hearts of his fans. RIP

[@southernsafety9749]

Mark had liver disease which can cause blood ammonia levels to rise which can result in significant confusion. If anything, this is an accidental drowning. Big question is why was he allowed to leave the hospital in a confused state????

[@freedomfan4272]

That liver disease was likely from his excessive drinking that he talked about his videos a handful of times.

[@ThePaulv12]

I heard on a channel from a friend of his, that his health insurance stopped paying. Didn't say the reason why.

[@darlene4232]

If he was a vet he could have got help at the VA hospital in Asheville

[@TKKrueger-py5jb]

​@@darlene4232, If.....

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

You can’t be forced to stay in the hospital even if they think you need to stay.

[@Urbicide]

Shoestring touched a lot of people through his videos. He was a great story teller. RIP!

[@Jayandhis25cents]

Rip shoestring "Mark Nichols" you will truly be missed brotha 🙏💔🙏🕊️

[@123canadagirl]

Rest in Peace Hobo Shoestring. You will be missed.

[@markbass7145]

He's riding that great train in the sky now

[@johnscherf1228]

Rest in Peace my brother!!! ❤from Hobo Johnny

[@BobbyFocus2008]

Rest easy Mark Hobo Shoestring, you may be gone but you will never be forgotten, your name and memories will live on through us your friends,family and fans , Ride on and ride in peace .

[@mikemission9230]

Hobo Shoestring Thank you for all your videos & Your Military Service to our country. Mark You were an Amazing Man and will be Sadly Missed. R.I.P

[@Hecto356]

R.I.P. Hobo Shoestring. Thank you for all the adventures you shared with us, the stories, the knowledge you shared and thank you for your service. Your legacy will ride into the sunset on a cadillac grain car. (Rest Easy Buddy! 🚂)

[@noagendasevenseven1231]

The man almost made me want to live that life. Tolkein said it best, Not all who wander are lost. RIP Hobo Shoestring

[@67wing]

I'm so glad they're doing a full investigation. RIP Mark

[@reggiefromnz6088]

OMG, it's true. Said with tears, RIP Hobo Shoestring.

[@BillHamblinn]

Can't believe it.

[@earth_heart_aether]

Rest in peace Shoestring.

[@allysonpasqule3433]

Ohh no ... I really loved watching him on his channel ... R.I.P. 😢😢

[@john45305]

Rest in Peace shoestring, I have seen and followed your channel from day one. and enjoyed every single one of them. To the Family of shoestring, My condolences to you and your family for your lost, Mark was an inspiration to many thousands of people who Knew him and supported his Channel here on KZbin. As they say Another Legend gone, But NEVER Forgotten. All the Best from a inspired and grateful fan from Birmingham the United Kingdom RIP HOBO SHOSTRING Your going to be missed.

[@lonewolf31337]

Damn brother. One my favorite KZbinrs and a very nice man. Rest in peace brother

[@jamesc949]

RIP Hobo, you will be missed 😢

[@suzannemilton8346]

RIP, Mark! Thank you for sharing all your rail advemtures!

[@scotthall3816]

Thank you 🙏

[@BronsonTheCat]

R.I.P. Hobo! I hope you’re riding with Stobe the Hobo on the other side!

[@kh3612]

Rest in Paradise, Shoestring. You won't be forgotten!☮️

[@dave_dave]

I wish that lake could talk and tell us the events that unfolded. He must have been REALLY sleep deprived, disoriented and maybe in altered state of mind either thought "this will feel good" or "this is it" or maybe even got in on accident and panicked, forgetting what to do.

[@Betsy.Ross76]

It's related to his liver disease. Confusion can't set in if there's something going on with blood... really suprised they let him go in a confused state but then again it's not easy to keep a patient unless they are threatening to harm themselves or others. It sucks. He called his family sometime between 3am and 7am... alarmed them enough his mom and sister left to drive there. I don't think this was an intentional act. 🤔 💔

[@mellowsunshine2724]

Accidental drowning is my guess as well. Hepatic Encephalopathy from stage 4 liver disease (cirrhosis) insidious and unrelenting until you take enough of this laxative called lactulose. It causes the PH to change inside your colon preventing bacteria from producing ammonia. It also causes you to poop. When you are in the middle of an episode, that is the main method of getting better. You have to poop multiple times a day, everyday to get rid of the ammonia and other toxins that are harming the brain. With consistent lactulose doses, it can take anywhere from several days to a month to feel better and return to baseline. Mark probably missed his doses and or his liver began to decompensate and his bloodwork looked worse. Unfortunately the hospital can not make you take lactulose even though it is obvious a person needs it.

[@Chris-CardVault]

Pure speculating, did he have, any enemies? I've watched several, of his videos, and I never got that impression, that he was running away, from something! Like , in other words, he seemed like, a calm, individual! Maybe he went through some rough neck, times, when he was younger! But, now it seems, he was battling, health issues, periodically! I learned some, interesting values, about his take, on certain levels! And , truthfully, I always looked forward, to seeing his videos! He was suffering, which we all knew, he was! Now he's, at least , in some way, at peace! Obviously, he either did it, on purpose, or he sleep walked to the Lake! Does anyone else, think foul play? I hope not! Well, he will be missed, by many, that followed him! And known him personally! R.I.P. Hobo Shoe- String!

[@thedogbarked123]

@@Chris-CardVault Yeah it's kind of strange and how do you just drown in a lake right near your house. I can see if you get in a boat and go out and fall overboard. And that's not like a good way to do yourself in jumping in a cold lake. It's kind of hard to understand.

[@heyyo7708]

No water was found in his lungs, coroner couldn't determine his cause

[@daveminion6209]

RIP, fellow Vet, TN er, and hobo - Fair Winds and Following Seas, shipmate

[@joshbrown5938]

I met him back last year in Charlotte NC back last year so so sad

[@Detroittruckdoctor55]

Sad his content was beautiful and inspiring

[@DougCeleste]

I still cannot believe that he is gone from this life but he lives on in our hearts. I still find myself wanting to go to KZbin to see the latest Shoestring videos and I know others feel this way. What a HUGE loss for us train and Shoestring fans and RIP Mark! Glad we still have your KZbin videos to make us feel that you are still with us in this life. 😢🙏

[@dianegray6545]

RIP! You will be missed Mark.

[@jennifer-marie]

R.I.P 😢

[@davidfields2930]

😢 RIP Shoestring. You’ll be dearly missed

[@bethanywhite877]

So sad to hear this. Prayers to his loved ones. RIP ❤

[@ninjahighlife2962]

I knew it in my heart. DAMN IT. that sucks. RIP.

[@elteescat]

Heartbreaking.

[@jessebrown5190]

One evening as the sun went down And the jungle fire was burning Down the track came a hobo hikin' And he said, "Boys, I'm not turning I'm headed for a land that's far away Beside the crystal fountains So come with me, we'll go and see The Big Rock Candy Mountains "In The Big Rock Candy Mountains There's a land that's fair and bright Where the handouts grow on bushes And you sleep out every night Where the boxcars all are empty And the sun shines every day On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings In The Big Rock Candy Mountains. RIP Shoestring

[@thatguyoverthere8355]

Never met him, but I'll miss him more than many people I've met. Lived the life he wanted to live and took us along on his adventures. Hobo Shoestring caught the final westbound leaving us with memories of the stories he told. 😢

[@threeshocks5769]

That's is F up folks. Praying for his family and friends

[@jonginder5494]

God bless buddy xxx

[@Blacksheep-Ba-Ba]

Is this man a veteran? He packs like one. ❤rip sir

[@ClarissaPacker]

Yes he was

[@mellowsunshine2724]

Army veteran. He worked on helicopters.

[@mikeyyoyo6464]

Very intelligent man he knew something about everything, sometimes he knew everything, cool guy, very sad.

[@mellowsunshine2724]

I think he mentioned he had a little autism, am I remembering that correctly? Please correct my memory if Im wrong. I really liked Mark’s perseverance. He beat back a lot of his problems and at least he went out on one of the best notes of his life. His family never gave up on him either. Sadly liver damage and cirrhosis are unreversable. Without a liver transplant, he would have progressively gotten worse. His mentation from hepatic encephalopathy shows how delicate your health can be living with liver disease. Daily and multiple doses of lactulose would have brought down his ammonia level and toxins his liver couldn’t get rid off. Lactulose makes you poop all the bad stuff out. I wonder if he had been missing doses. With liver disease you have to poop every day. Poor guy, he really tried.

[@user-tb2jy9lu3d]

@@mellowsunshine2724 Asperger's. He talked about it in some of his videos. He would get random thoughts of curiosity about stuff that others generally didn't wonder about, which is something that I also do and I don't have Asperger's. Nothing wrong with curiosity.

[@oleradiodudea.m.4735]

Mark was authentic and original, not fake, phony or false. I think that's why we liked him.

[@G1BJN]

R.I.P This man was admired the world over and will be sorely missed, loved watching his videos, one of the greats :)

[@TheEarthHistorysConfusing]

Rest In Peace Hobo, first Strobe now you. Sorry this happened brother.

[@MinorLG]

May shoestring forever ride the high iron in the sky

[@uberlpn]

RIP SHOESTRING, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!

[@tylerh8116]

RIP shoestring thank you for sharing your life with us 💔 were all truly sad we lost a good one

[@doricetimko5403]

RIP Hobo Shoestring💜Thank you for your service

[@WeskerDidNothingWrong]

Rip Hobo Shoestring, thank you for re kindling my love for the railroad

[@rhythmsoftherailroad6484]

Rest Peacefully Friend! May your comfort be eternal.

[@andrewj4442]

How SAD! 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@JOSEPHMATTHEWHOLLAND]

Rest Easy Shoestring ❤🙏🫡🇺🇲

[@bcdrummer1962]

Godammit! Sh*t. I just went to Shoestrings channel to check in on him, I hadn’t checked in for a couple months. Saw no recent activity and started searching around…..which led me to this. I was NOT expecting this - it’s like a punch in the gut. Mark was such a MAN, he was someone I developed true respect for. Let me just say that whatever this investigation finds….here’s the TRUTH: Hobo Shoestring died out on the road, living his way, and I don’t think he would ask for more than that. RIP Hobo Shoestring, your thousands of Tags all around the US rail system will remain to inspire future generations of free spirited people.

[@marcusdub07]

What?!?!?! I'm flabbergasted. RIP Shoestring.

[@patrickbonner4841]

poor fella , I thought he was just another KZbinr , I had know idea how many subscriber's he had and such an honest down to earth fella he was ...you showed us the real meaning of been free , Rest in Peace Mark, you and your family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers at this time from Patrick in Ireland

[@TruthProvider]

Very sad news. I enjoyed watching Hobo Shoestring's videos. RIP

[@peterisaloftpc4093]

R.I.P. Hobo Shoestring!

[@markrush5013]

not the ending we wanted...he seemed to be a kind man who lived a troubled life. not sure why he was allowed to leave the ER in a confused and disoriented state..if that indeed is true. rest in peace,Mark.

[@BTenold]

They likely discharged him because he couldn't Pay.

[@Betsy.Ross76]

💔Aww, Mark. Dammit.😢 You will be missed. I can't believe it. I wish you had stayed at the hospital... thank you for sharing your adventures and knowledge with us. Rest Easy Shoestring, your home now and free. ❤

[@copkhan007]

It is ridiculous that law enforcement did not treat this as a priority. He had been missing for 7 days without any contact? When were they gonna file a missing person's report? Some agencies just pass the buck.

[@Jleed989]

They didn’t? Search teams have been out 24/7 looking for him.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Mark was loved around the world. Condolences from Western Australia. RIP Shoestring

[@Aliciae2009]

😢❤ sorry praying for family ❤

[@charliepearson1678]

RIP Mark . gonna miss your trips and vids

[@kennyrichard2971]

Oh no 😢 rest in peace, hobo shoestring you will be so missed 🙏✝️

[@soundhobo]

RIP Mark, you will be missed.

[@fredrickcallahan4292]

My Son and I really enjoyed watching Shoestrings videos. It was a nice break to relax and look into his world. We Love and miss you Shoestring, see you on the Heavenly rails.

[@gaminggambino8185]

Rip Sir. Your videos are & will always be welcome distractions in an ever chaotic world.

[@tonyping3159]

Man I loved his videos and his peace he gave to us fans of his. Truly a unique special person!!

[@DavidHuber63]

Mark served his country with pride. 💜🙏🏼

[@cooljets]

RIP. I was one of his suscribers. He was well regarden by the railroad community.

[@Nothing51337]

R.i.p hobo shoestring

[@melindalynn-00]

🍂🍁🌾💐 SHOESTRING 💐🌾🍁🍂

[@tennesseenate7314]

I'll miss him 😢

[@mandalay71]

Wow, only finding out now. R.I.P. Shoestring. Thank you so much for putting out all these railroad videos in which I have learned so much. You will be miss for sure.😢

[@jwigley3835]

RIP Shoestring. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I'll miss his videos.

[@Buzz420]

RIP Shoestring 😢

[@thomasedsell430]

Rip shoestring

[@ArkOmen1]

Why? This is crazy

[@dramares]

Shoestring...

[@andrewlightfoot1323]

Godspeed, Shoestring. May the Lord himself greet you with a warm smile & a warmer embrace.

[@tunercars3]

this hurts he will be missed

[@wandamcgiboney5141]

Such a shame , condolences to his friend .

[@rc648]

Loved by all. RIP and thanks for taking us on your journey.

[@wholebunchofkidz]

Why was he in the water?

[@bennetts-revenge_2]

That's a very good question!

[@larryandersen681]

Of all the people I follow on KZbin, Shoestring was the absolute most genuine person of them all. Man, this makes me sad. GodSpeed, Shoestring!

[@duaneayers6117]

Hopefully his family will get an autopsy. His death is very suspicious & needs to be looked at. There's a lot of evil people in the world.

[@jacobhoffman2553]

nope.... that shit costs money.... they dont do that for everybody.... reality is not at all like true crime series on t.v.... otherthings they very rarely do.... fingerprinting.... dna evidence... gps tracking.... these things are expensive..... but they will lie and say they did and put result they want.... theyve sent alot of innocent ppl to jail to save money... no joke (seriously when these things are used they privately funded by wealthy persons or organizations that can actualy afford justice)

[@dreadpiratelenny1348]

I believe Kent Kreuger should be investigated.

[@casedoumasr656]

​@@dreadpiratelenny1348and who might be Kent

[@dreadpiratelenny1348]

@@casedoumasr656 Type that name into youtube search and see for yourself.

[@DonVideoGuy007]

@duaneayers6117 - At the 01:30 time code mark, Capt. Mark Adams; of the Johnson City Police Department's CID, states that the local Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the manner, and probable cause of the manner of death of Mark "Hobo Shoestring" Nichols.

[@robertteap8052]

SHOESTRING'S LAST RIDE. He awoke suddenly, having been sleeping peacefully cold as if someone had thrown water over him, but that didn't matter now, because there in front of him was a train, stopped, he must of been sleeping soundly, he had never heard it pull in, but better still, a carriage or two away was an open boxcar. Going for a look, he clambered in, no need to rush, they will be doing a crew charge, inside were plenty of corrugated cardboard sheets and a few pallets. He would travel in comfort he thought as he stacked the cardboard 4 or 5 high and moved the pallets around them. No bull will see him now. Suddenly he was tired and stretched out on the softest of beds, he must of dozed off because he awoke as the train began to move. His tarp, his bucket and hat, jump now to get them or leave them behind. This was to good a ride to miss, then he remembered his camera in his bucket, he wouldn't be able to video this journey to share with his 200000 subscribers, anyway by now the train was moving to fast to get off, there was no going back now. Sleeping again he dreamed of the doe he had seen in the wood with her 2 fawns, the salmon jumping in the stream, he first buds appearing on the trees, yes, indeed it was spring, after all it was April. Awake now, he looked out the door, somehow he wasn't cold anymore, not like on his trips to Alaska nor backing when he went down South. Something strange was happening, everything was shrouded in fog. He had felt the train slow down a little as he realised they were climbing higher and higher, funny because he never remembered an incline been here before, thinking about it, he didn't know where he was or where would be his final destination, he would sleep some more and figure it out later. Awake again, he looked out, there were snow covered mountains, but they were far below. Nothing made sense on this journey. Leaning out the door, to his astonishment he saw there were no carriages in front or behind his. Was his mind playing tricks again, and surely the rails weren't gold? Hour after hour he travelled higher and higher, eventually his carriage slowed to a halt, going to the door to try and figure out where he was, he heard a voice,. Panic set it as he thought it had to be the bull. But that voice was away softer than any bull he had encountered. Suddenly, it all made sense, the train, the comfortable ride, the dreams of everything that mattered in his life on the trackside, the long journey, when he heard the same voice say " Peter, go and have a look to see who has come home" RIP.. HOBO SHOESTRING ( MARK)

[@tackywhale5664]

Damn, he was such a great present day encapsulation of early 21st century railroading, and bringing the modern day well-equipped, well-experienced, yet individually rugged maverick hobo experience into the present-day internet age. And yet there appears to be parallels between what we see in his content and the endeavours of hobos during their Great Depression heyday: same 30-60 mph speed, same environment of steel wheels on steel rails that although purely artificial, feels just as natural as the greenery and outdoor tree/grasslike expanses surrounding them, and above all, same thrill of avoiding detection by railroad or local authorities. You will be missed, sir.

[@JohnShinn1960]

Rest In Peace Mark. 👍😐

[@jeffreyking279]

I'm not sure what all the bickering on this thread is all about. Everyone having to prove they are smarter than the next guy and tough talking on the keyboard. Give it a rest!Shoestring showed us what freedom looks like. He had a restless wanderlust that only the road seemed to satisfy. He lived his life on his own terms. He wasn't gonna die in some hospital. Likely died on his own terms, outside, where he wanted to be. Thanks for sharing it with us, Shoestring. Be at peace, brother. Godspeed.

[@edsmith6504]

Welcome to the internet. There's even a song with that title by Bo Burnham on here.

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 urp

[@billyshead1339]

Damn that sucks big time. I used to watch him and I loved his videos. R.I.P. Mark

[@encarnacionvillazana3270]

R.I.P "Shoestring " ✌️