The Most Alarming Disappearance in Pacific Crest Trail History
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- Опубліковано 30 сер 2023
- David O'Sullivan disappeared while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017. Nobody knows what happened, or where he is.
Fowler-O'Sullivan Foundation: fofound.org/
My video about Kris Fowler's disappearance on the Pacific Crest Trail: • Something's Up... Why ...
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Solo hikers most often get lost because they step off the trail to relieve themselves and are so busy looking for a “good spot” they don’t pay attention to where they are going. Same on the way back to where they “think” the trail is and then can’t find their way back to the “spot”. Now they are lost and make the 3rd mistake. They keep walking and are often found within a half mile of the trail according to my friend who spent over 25 years doing volunteer search and rescue. Tying a rope to a tree near the trail and holding on to one end or looking at a compass before stepping off the trail would save lives.
When i was 14 or so, we did a night camp thing for scouts. Just roasting marshmellows and the like. When we all decided to go home it was like 9 or 10 pm so dark amd we all walked down the trail back to the cars.
Me being a dummy, decided i would go into the forest and cut around infront of everyone to jump scare them. I literally went maybe 10 or 15 feet into the forest and became utterly and completely lost. I know it sound stupid, but with no landmarks to orientate myself and it being dark, plus not paying attention to how i made my way in, i was screwed. I instantly felt panic welling up inside of me for a few minutes. I think eventually someone called out for me and i was able to follow thier voice back to the trail.
I cant imagine what would happen to a solo hiker who made the same.mistake. if you try to walk back to the trail but you are spun in the wrong direction it might be hundreds of miles before you encounter even a road or anything.
I love The idea of tying a rope to where you start to leave the trail. So simple but very smart and life saving! Ty!
That'd be smart. I've also had the thought that if you do step off the trail to "relieve yourself" and then don't remember the way back. What you DO know is that the trail isn't far. Maybe 100 yards max. So tie something bright high up on a nearby tree so you can see it from 100 yds away. Pick a direction and travel about 100 yds, keep that bright object in sight. If it's not the right way, go back to your marker and repeat in all directions until you are back on track. But tying a lifeline or having a compass would be best, of course.
It’s surprisingly easy to become disoriented in heavy brush or woods. There was a recent incident locally (I live on Vancouver Island) where an experienced hiker, in an area he was familiar with, was lost for three days and was found (alive and in good condition, fortunately) only about 300 yards from a trail. Someone inexperienced, and in an unfamiliar area, could easily end up going in the wrong direction and going further and further from their goal. Which also makes it really difficult to locate a lost hiker, without knowing where they went astray and what direction they headed off in, needle in a haystack doesn’t begin to cover it.
Sounds more like very inexperienced hikers rather than solo hikers.
The photo at 11:41 and 13:46 is mine, taken when I passed through a couple of weeks after David was in Idyllwild. It’s at mm187.4. I sent this to Cathy, as the tracks going down in the photo were going the wrong way, as the PCT actually jogs left at that spot.
An older hiker from Oregon had fallen a few hundred feet following those footsteps down the same day and I found him climbing back up about a half mile north and helped him to a clearing where he set camp. He actually had a broken ankle and called for rescue a few days later.
I sent the photo because it was the most suspect spot on my trek through. I never claimed to have seen David, though perhaps your reference to that was about a different hiker’s report. I hiked again in ‘19 in another heavy snow year and had hopes I would spot something, but didn’t. The footage I took of the area in ‘17 and ‘19 can be found in my San Jacinto section videos in the respective years’ playlist on my channel. Cathy and crew have seen them.
Hopefully, David will be found.
Thanks for sharing James. I was not referencing you in the video. Most of the info and pictures I got from Cathy
Yeah, figured I’d just note that I took the photo and give some detail why I shared it with Cathy.
I recognized your photo! Just wish we could search that area on foot more but it's super steep.
Look who it is! How ya doing James its trailblazer from 2017. Not sure if we met before Kennedy Meadows but I definitely remember having some good convos! Hope all is well buddy.
This is really interesting. Thanks for giving more info about this photo.
I think his mom doesn’t understand how massive our wilderness is. You’re way more likely to die from a mistake than foul play.
I agree but still shady people out there and just gotta be careful who you run into. an yeah the area is just really crazy I'm from hemet and Mt San Jacinto was my go to hiking area
@@drew1921 She said on the late late show that she thinks he most likely died from a fall or hypothermia
Western Europe has plenty of rugged pristine wilderness but you're always within reach of either some form of "civilisation" (ranger huts, roads, village pubs!) or you're at least within hailing distance of other hikers before the worst happens. Even experienced hikers from there tend to underestimate the sheer size and remoteness of the American and Asian wilderness areas.
For foreigners to America, it's hard for them to truly grasp how big the country is.
Source: I know a lot of foreigners lol
@@DeviIGundam source: maps. The square miles compared to square miles. Population density versus population density. Oh and flat maps obscure the size due to the curve of the globe. But when you look it up and see finland is about as big as Oregon and Washington combined it makes more sense. Or you find out that the coast of mainland Europe is about the same as just California… the population density of the UK is so high, they really don’t have wilderness where you are legitimately far away from other people the way we have here.
Use of drones for the specific purpose of locating missing hikers in the back country should not be prohibited by any law. Use of this technology is vitally helpful in finding and locating missing people. If such laws exist , they should be amended to allow drone use expressly for this purpose.
agreed!
I assumed drones were being used!??
Pretty sure people would use them, regardless of legality, if they had them. Exceptions to laws are allowed during emergencies.
He said that they weren't, that they had to bushwhack on foot.@@wakranich3488
Except this isn't an emergency. It's, sadly, a body recovery. I don't think there is any justification to use drones to recover the body. Drones are banned largely due to the fire risk.
I’m chubby and I hike peaks in Arizona like a mountain goat. It’s about knowing your body and its limits - never hike alone, carry a sat phone, excessively pack water and check weather conditions in advance. I’ve been lost once - it’s a terrifying feeling.
Good reply
I got lost in New Hampshire. I luckily stumbled upon a boulder I had climbed earlier and got back on track. I bring my headlamp everywhere now.
Good things to have are also something to filter or purify water, a pocket knife, a whistle and something waterproof that can light a fire and doesn't run out, like an infinite match or a firestone. These 4 tiny things barely take up any space, but if you get lost for a while they will allow you to get food and water, build a shelter, stay warm and dry and make noise to help the search parties find you. These 4 tiny things can literally make the difference between life and death.
Even if you aren't planning on hiking, anytime you are going walking in a hiking area, brink water, a cell phone/sat phone and a backpack for overnight. Just in case. A woman in North Vancouver took her dogs out to a trail in the forest near her home, daily, and one day she had one of her dogs take off unexpectedly. It was a younger dog, not as well trained. She went after it, fell, banged her head and became really disoriented due to concussion and got lost. Her husband realized later that day that she was not back, and so they started searching, but she kept trying to find her way back, and ended up going in circles. It was 3 days before she was found, not far from where she'd entered the trailhead. Fortunately her 2 older dogs stayed with her and kept her warm overnight.
It’s totally fine to hike alone. Just be prepared.
I understand drone use regulations, but I think exceptions should be made for search groups. How frustrating to not be able to use this amazing tool!
I don't get why they couldn't be used in wilderness areas?
@@Pushing_Pixels Maybe they want to preserve the wilderness feel for hikers, etc? Or people consider it an invasion of privacy? Neither of these explanations make sense if it is a really remote area.
Drones disturb wildlife and are a fire risk when they crash.
I was just thinking that as i watched it,makes perfect sense when i life is at stake.
@@aksez2u Or to save someone's life!
I'm in Idyllwild often. Some of the nicest and friendliest locals you will ever run across. It's basically an artist colony, and so many of the locals are mellow, helpful, friendly people. Having said that, it's important for people to understand that there are bad people, predators who target people in these areas. Thru hiking the PCT is not cheap, and so it follows that there are a great many people on this trail who are not local, and do not have local contacts or people they can trust and rely on. They also have money or expensive gear or both. There are people looking for this exact situation and prey on those who may not even be noticed missing for days or longer. When you go hiking alone, you attract the attention of these type of people more so than you realize. How hard is it to make someone disappear out in these areas? Not hard at all. As much as you love a solo adventure, dont go alone.
Its so easy for a body to blend in
My neighbor disappeared for 14 months up here in maine .i found him face down in a stream behind my house
In a few acres of woods that had been heavily searched . If it wasn't for his boots i don't think i would have noticed the very decompose body.
I am so sorry for him, and for his family. I haven’t hiked that area, but hike 10-15 miles per week in our Southern California mountains. Many of the trails here are barely wide enough for 1 person with trekking poles. There’s scree and loose gravel, and there are sheer drop offs into steep, inaccessible canyons. Lots of very thick chaparral, too, where it would be difficult to find anyone.
What requires care in the summer can be deadly in the winter. One slip or wrong step can, and often does,lead to disaster. Even very experienced hikers and mountaineers have perished, or have been severely injured, and had to be rescued in our mountains in winter.
I do hope that more people take winter hiking in the San Jacinto, San Bernardino,and San Gabriel mountains seriously.
Again, my condolences to his family, and thank you, Kyle for helping to bring awareness.
People who have never seen the amount of wild territory in So Cal wouldn't understand just how rugged mountains are out there. So many ranges with peaks around 10,000 ft . Not the same as gentle rolling hills also found in So Cal. I have some experience in the San Gabriels, Baldy and Big Bear area and you aren’t joking
It's so sad to hear these stories. I completely understand people not wanting to bring phones with them when doing a nature hike but it's so important to have something on your person so you can be found. This is just heartbreaking
yes it is. I don't think he neglected to bring the phone because of the nature thing though, I think it was more likely a logistical thing. we will never know for sure
I don't understand at all. Even if you don't want to use your phone for whatever reason, just keep it with you switched off just in case. An emergency call will go through even with no sim card, doesn't matter what country you're from or in. Doesn't have to be a smart phone, you can get a cheap light one for 20 bucks.
@@KyleHatesHiking true. It's just such a shame and a waste of a young life. My mind also wonders about an animal getting him as well
@@toastercatxyou have to go to the right store for that, he was walking and in a foreign country where everything was unfamiliar. The amount of nonsense you have to go through to buy a $20 phone immediately in person, esp if you also need an activated SIM, is high
He may not have had service where he had an emergency, so it wouldn't have mattered in that case anyway. It would only have helped if he'd been able to keep in touch with family before he left cell coverage, so they would know to look for him, which means he needed active service
@@KyleHatesHiking i'm guessing his phone was either network locked or not compatible with US frequency bands, definitely should have bought a cheap dumbphone for USA tho
I've hiked this area a few times on the PCT.
The San Jacinto (Ha-SEEN-toe) mountains are no joke. It's scary how many inexperienced hikers go up there without the proper gear. One slip, and you'll fall.
.
Every single time I was in this area hiking I always kept a lookout for anything out of the ordinary. It's a very difficult area to search because of the terrain.
.
I hope one day David's family gets the closure they need ♡
He pronounced San Jacinto exactly the way locals pronounce it. I was actually kind of impressed.
The fact that you can Google correct pronounciations of anything and Kyle routinely doesn't is such amateur hour bullcrap lazy kid crap
Thank you for asking the family if you can make this video. Keep it up!
thanks for watching!
Bad things can happen no matter how experienced you are or how well prepared you are. This isn't a judgement of anyone, or even O'Sullivan, but I spent a season with Tacoma Mountain Rescue while getting my wilderness emt certification. Our rescue area was Mt. Rainier. After I while I got so tired of missing work (we were volunteers) and waking up in the middle of the night and spending 24 hours on the mountain looking for people that made really stupid mistakes. After a while I started to get resentful and had to quit. I'm glad there are people that don't, but for the love of god be prepared. It takes a whole lot of effort by a whole lot of people to save you from yourself. You'd be astonished at the number of people I had to rescue that came from the East Coast where they don't even have mountains, just hills. It's beyond comprehension that they'd be prepared to climb a mountain like Rainier. Know what you're getting into and DO NOT underestimate the mountains of the PNW.
Climbed Mt. Washington twice. I beg to differ it’s a “hill”. Read about the weather.
@@lealovesthesea As a californian hiker in New England, I do agree that the white mountains are one of the only places I've been that really struck me as having the feeling of ranges on the west coast - Washington is no hill. That being said, Rainier is more than double the elevation of Mt. Washington, and close to triple that of other peaks in the northeast (Mt Marcy and whatnot). Obviously many people who are educated, fit, and prepared for any mountain can come from anywhere, including the northeast, but it's no surprise to me some people travel west unprepared and overconfident.
These stories are so sad Kyle. I know you’ve repeatedly said you didn’t want your channel to become the True Crime of hiking, but you’re so good at these videos, they’re so sadly addictive, and in the end, you’re doing a great thing by bringing attention back to these cases. So well done man. Well done.👏👊✌
The channel “Bryan’s adventures and mysteries on trail” is already the true crime of hiking, but there’s room for more!
@@Emiliapocalypseyes! And he also puts a whole lot into describing the work of the SAR teams… Bryan comes across as an extremely sensitive and caring guy who does everything he can to further stories of the individuals, spreading awareness in order to hopefully get information regarding those cases that are still unsolved …
Kyle, one thing you didn't mention, and maybe didn't learn about, was the reaction to initial inquiries on his whereabouts on the PCT Class of 2017 Facebook page. From what I remember, there was a lot of people saying it was all made up, that he wasn't a thru-hiker, etc. Basically, it was a lot of denial. It was very sad and shameful, and I don't understand why the negative reaction even occurred. I remember seeing the signs asking to keep an eye out for him and his belongings when I hiked out of Idyllwild in 2018. Such a sad story.
Wow. What did these people think? It would be not important for parents, to find their son?? Maybe they didn't think at all. 🤔
I don't know, but was it the same year with the fake abduction from Sherry Pappini ? 🤔 And perhaps other , equal stories?
But who whould compare this to a lost, young hiker?
And to be true, I would take every search or ask for help serious! Okay, and when two out of ten aren't true, you don't miss the ten others. ( maybe some mistakes in my translation) 😉But thank you for this Information.
That should be looked at further, in case there was foul play and person/s trying to discourage investigations.
Hipsters in denial.
People will find a reason to dispute ANYTHING online and negative reactions are not all that suprising unfortunately......
It’s hard enough sometimes to report your American child missing- I can’t imagine the headache this was for his parents.
There's a difference between American children and Irish children? You are odd
@@bethewalt7385 as you can tell from the video his family being unfamiliar with the country did not know who to call or what to do to report a missing person as she was calling the Irish police / consulate instead of the California police and reporting him as a missing person. Also would have been heartbreaking losing your child 5,000 miles away from home
@@bethewalt7385they mean the added hassle of reporting your child missing if you live in another country
@@bethewalt7385 irish children are more badass
My heart breaks for Mr. O'Sullivan's family, may God bless them. I hope David is found soon... it's a terrible thing.
We went to Idyllwild on Memorial Day weekend about 7 years ago...and yes, at the end of May, there was still snow and Ice on the shaded areas of the trails. Our good friend, who was a very experienced hiker, took a bad step on an icy patch he didn't see. He fell and slide down a slope for quite a ways before he arrested himself on a lucky patch of dirt and rocks. He was all scraped and banged up, but alive. He said if that dirt patch had not been there, he would have kept sliding...and fallen over a cliff. We would not have known what happened to him if this occurred, as he was hiking alone. It makes me wonder if the young man in the video suffered a similar fate.
So sad. Thanks for bringing us his story. You'll be at 300k before you know it!
I hope he is found soon. thank you for watching Kathy
Thanks I'm at 42 now 😂😂😂
I just subscribed to help the cause. Keep em coming. I hike by myself all the time and these videos help me dial in awareness.--THX Kimbo @@KyleHatesHiking
Most alarming mainly because there were the least number of alarms soon after David disappeared. Many relatively minor circumstances compiled to make this situation difficult to discover David's whereabouts. Hiking alone across the snowy slopes of the San Jacinto in the spring is very dangerous and not recommended. The fact that he had no phone or GPS in 2017 is sad when you imagine David got lost and may have suffered a long time and no one was aware for a long time. Good work O'Grady and I hope O'Sullivans can one day have closure.
This is pretty scary for those who choose to hike abroad.
very rare! real, but rare
I saw one story on him that speculated a fork in the path he could have taken. Anymore the app that most people use and that so many more are carrying a spot device, it seems there will be fewer incidents of people getting lost. Most deaths have to do with falls, drownings and temperature extremes. There have been only 15 deaths on the pct since 1983, so 40 years. 2 of those were traffic fatalities getting to town. If you consider the thousands of people on the trail each year.... way more people fall down stairs or have other even domestic accidents. Also, there are no deaths from animal or human predation on the pct. Like Kyle mentioned, it's rare when things go this array.
Thanks kyle..your turning into the Mr. Ballen of hiking and camping stories!!
lol ill take it
Awesome to see Mr. Ballen mentioned. I also love Kyle Hates Hiking. Where else do you get get your itch scratched?
@TheShunter🍃🍂🌿😂🤣🤣👍🇦🇺🦘🦘🦘
@@lynnetteashcroft1089 dire trip, daves lemonade, JCS, dr grande, dr insanity.. wbu?
@@KyleHatesHikinglolol forreal Mr. Ballen is this shit.
Btw.. have you ever heard of that story from years and years ago of the missing NC hiker found tied to a tree?! 😳 a year before David went missing actually.. can’t find many updates to that story either but she was SA’d and thank god, found alive.
Us women gotta stay safe out there hiking in other ways than just the harsh environment 😭 nothing is scarier than people lol
A book detailing the disappearance and subsequent search for David
as well as Kris Fowler and Chris Sylvia has just been released. "Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail", by Andrea Lankford. A truly gripping read!
I just finished reading it. A very good book.
This is really well done. I live close to the trail and San Jacinto, and his disappearance bothers me greatly. I’ve sumitted Jacinto 4x since 2017, each time stopping to ponder David’s possible final resting place. Thank you for keeping his memory alive so he might be found.
Maybe the PCT Association can have a checklist of required safety items, and a local volunteer group of people to serve as emergency contacts for the foreign hikers and for the few truly solo American hikers. There are hikers who have no close friends and families to use as emergency contacts on these long trails. I’ve met some.
Maybe the PCT can just assign someone to hold your hand and walk the entire way with you!!?? WTF! Natural selection, Darwinian, are you serious?😂😂😂
@@bethewalt7385 I remember the kick off parties and everyone started the same week before the PCTA became big brother and put water caches every few miles so people could wash their feet, everyone was through in a month now it's four months,the water sources used to be twenty miles apart and weeded out the weak fast,some trails should be hard and not for pear shaped people.
@@bethewalt7385please be kind
Thank you for getting the parents' permission for this video. The content that you post is amazing. Interesting, informative, and for a good cause. Thank you for your hard work!
Best comment!
My condolences to his family. It is so sad they don't know what happened to him 😔
Everything you said he had a problem with, are things that could have easily be fixed. He could have bought a new hat, you can buy a prepaid cell phone for $20 at any Walmart or gas station with minutes on it, he also could have bought the right charger at any electronics store, Walmart or gas station! These are all easy, simple fixes that could have really helped.
Yeah.
how are the legal regulations for buying SIM cards over there?
As an Irish person this is very sad to hear ☘️ I hope his family get the answers they deserve ❤
It is odd, because like most Irish people of a certain vintage, I listen to the radio all day long, and read the papers religiously ... and I can't recall of hearing about this case when it happened.
@@fergalohearga9594 it’s great to see stories like this highlighted. I done a google search and this is the information I found:
ByClare McCarthyReporter
18:32, 18 APR 2022
The family of an Irishman who went missing in California while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail have marked five years since his disappearance.
David O’Sullivan, from Midleton, County Cork, was 25 when he set out to hike the long-distance trail, a journey of 2,653 miles along the western coast of America stretching from the Mexican border to Canada.
He had been inspired to do the trek after reading the book ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed, which also became a film starring Reese Witherspoon.
David had recently graduated from University College Cork with a degree in English and Philosophy and had saved up money for the adventure by working in a local garage in Midleton.
He last made contact with his family via email on April 6, 2017 in Idyllwild in Riverside County, a stopping point along the Pacific Crest Trail, and also posted a package from the town’s post office.
The amateur hiker was about two-and-a-half weeks along the trail and according to trail reports from the time, there was three-feet of snow in the mountains on the next stage of his journey.
David was due to meet a friend in Santa Barbara in early May but did not show up which raised concerns for his safety.
His family filed a missing person report in Ireland on June 30, 2017 and he was officially listed as a missing person in the US on July 17.
Despite fearing the worst, David’s family have been over and back to California on a number of occasions to continue the search for their missing son who would now be 30-years-old.
His mother, Carmel O’Sullivan, told Ryan Tubridy on his radio show in 2018 that she believes her son died from a fall or from hypothermia.
When asked if she thinks her son is still alive, she said: “No, I’m afraid I don’t.
“He’s a year gone and there’s no activity in his bank account and he certainly wouldn’t have disappeared, he’s a very loyal child. He wouldn’t do this to us.”
A recent post on David O'Sullivan's missing person Facebook group said that there are still ongoing efforts to find him.
The post reads: “Today marks 5 years since David left Idyllwild, a small mountain town along the PCT where many hikers, including David, stop to rest and resupply.
“What happened to David, on April 7th, 2017, is the question on everyone's mind. It's been a heartbreaking 5 years for David's family, friends, and loved ones who are so very far away.
“Our search efforts continue later this month as we have not given up our efforts to locate David. Our goal is to bring David back to Ireland, and to his family. (We're still looking for you David!)
Yeah, wasn't aware of it either. Not well publised over here unlike if it happened on home soil.
so if he was not irish it wouldnt be sad??
As an Irish person this is very sad to hear?
So, if you weren't Irish,you wouldn't be sad?
You sound like not a smart one at all!
The restrictions on drone usage being enforced even for a search and rescue situation is just *infuriating*
Blows my mind David wasn’t declared missing until July! He certainly should have waited to hike the PCT until he was better equipped (cell phone or other emergency electronic device) and trained to hike in snow conditions. Excellent video- very concise. Yay to being close to 300k subscribers 🎉
I’m with you on searching getting started so late on. It’s very unfortunate our parks didn’t provide the help and resources needed to find David. Praise God for Cathy Tarr not letting David’s disappearance be ignored and providing his family with updates
im from europe and a few years back, i was in the US, for hiking and vacation - theres no issue with using your phone over there, not at all. it automatically switches to the different country code, of course if you call or text, it is depending on the carrier you choose, more expensive, but it does work. and this was before David did this! so i don't think the reason for him not to carry a phone was the different countries. :) just adding my thoughts to this because i remember being very careful to take my phone with me when i was hiking in national parks over there, i only did small things, but at one point, the car broke down and i was so greatful for my phone.
It's not true, that there ARE no issues, it really depends on your phone and your carrier and the transmission towers you would connect to. The US uses some different bandwidths than the EU, so apart from the fact, that it's extremely expensive, dataroaming may or may not work. Making normal phonecalls should actually work: I never had issues making phone calls overseas with an android device, yet my husband's iphone usually won't work.
Not true. My iphone worked perfectly. Lol
@@claudia4448 Wtf? Why do you allege to be my husband?!?
@@sarielle85the vast majority of phones supports bands from EU, US and Asia right of the bat and that's without even mentioning that if it falls to connect to 5g, it will try 4g and 3g too. It's extremely unlikely that a phone from Europe wouldn't connect in the US. And I can guarantee you that the iPhone do work
Yeah and if you're a traveller who did even the slightest amount of research, you know to buy a new SIM card before you even get on your flight!
It's what I did when I went to Europe.
Yes, it required stopping in the airport to change out my SIM before anything else because they tell you not to even turn on your phone in a foreign country if you don't want a roaming charge.
However, it wasn't that hard.
I lived in Idyllwild off and on for much of my life. I rented a house on the ridge, just off the state park at the top of the city. We never walked our pets alone due to all the bears and the mountain lions. We often had both along with coyotes that just walked up and down our street on a daily basis. There are a LOT of them in the area. I house sat for my biology professor often. He lived close to Idyllwild. He said the bears walked from the Big Bear areas, down to the valley at Banning & Beaumont where they would go under the freeway overpasses and go up the San Jacinto Mtn to travel the crest into San Diego County areas and back. I'm just letting you know the possibility.
My first thought was a mountain lion or bear.
I own a small UAV search and rescue business in California. We were called out to search for David in 2019. We did find some gear that we think belonged to David and reported it back to his mother in Ireland. We continued our search for another 3 weeks after we located a tent, hiking boots and a solar charger but never found any remains of David. We did a grid search of nearly 30 square miles, but nothing more ever turned up.
Just curious. If you don't mind. Where does funding come from for searches like that, which utilize private business, like yours?
@@aarongray3573 Sadly, the funding has to come from family members. We were contacted by a SAR group out of the area that told us the parents were funding the search for David. I honestly felt horrible for the his parents, so we waived all fee's aside from travel expense. In the end, the SAR group didn't listen to anything we told them, continued to feed misinformation back to his family and refused to send the HD photos we provided (which were much higher detail than the JPEG they were sharing within the group). I ended the search after several weeks of back and forth with the SAR group despite having found many items that pointed to possible answers for Davids family... Politics and opinions should never play a role in finding answers for loved ones.
@@aarongray3573the family.
It was someone elses gps device that signaled the authorities that my husband and I needed help on Mt. Whitney. Thank God this man just happened along. He had passed our camp earlier; maybe the day before. It was at this camp we decided to turn back on our hike. We were afraid that my husband had a light heart attack in the middle of the night. 🥺 Then we had more troubles before this nice man with the gps came along. God was surely lóoking out for us! We made some mistakes on this trip but thankfully we made it off the mountain ok. 😊🙏
I really hope they find David so he can be returned Home. I feel really Sad about what his Parents must be going through. I hope David Rests in Peace if he had a Accident. Cathy Tarr is a True Hero for what She’s doing. I think she is incredibly Nice to take Time out of her Life to look for these Hikers. To set up a Foundation and to help Hikers with GPS’s is really something. God Bless David, and Cathy Tarr, and anyone else Searching for these missing Hikers. Great Job with the Video.👍👍❤️
You should do a video on Julian Sands. He disappeared hiking on mt baldy, they recently found him. It was big news for us in Southern California.
yes I've had this on my radar for awhile now. ill look into it a little closer, thank you
I lived in SolCal and I never heard of him.
@@LarryWater He was an actor with a fairly long list of credits.
His disappearance made national news. I know this because I'm in Georgia and I heard about it here.
YES agreed
This is so sad. I live in Cork - not far from his hometown of Middleton and I went to University College Cork, like him, but I hadn't heard this story. It sounds like he was poorly equipped for this kind of terrain. Incidentally, it almost never ever snows in Cork and if it does, it is barely an inch of snow So sorry for his family, not having closure.
When I came through Idyllwild last year, I went to a hair salon in town. The hairdresser, an older lady asked kindly if I would leave a note in her hiker journal. Of course I agreed and thought this was out of personal interest, a kind but a bit quirky habit of a local.
However she later told me how a hiker had visited her hair salon and then had gone missing. And when police spoke to her about it, they suggested she keep a journal around for hikers passing through...
Learning of this and that David O'Sullivan came through that place, just like me, being an international hiker, just like me, was definitely sombering and sad. I hope they find him. Thanks for the video, Kyle.
I know you've said before you dont really want this channel to turn into a true crime channel, but I do want to say, these videos are really great as a rookie hiker. I'm just picking up the hobby, and as much as your other videos have been amazingly helpful for mistakes/etc, these are always a sobering reminder, and potentially more helpful in my case, as to things like packing a GPS with an SOS device, the problems that can go wrong (such as Madeline Connely, Geraldine Largay, and the son and mother duo, who's names escape me), have reminded me how easy it is to make one wrong mistake, and a plethora of small bad decisions. It's very easy to watch tips for hikers and forget a small detail, but videos like this really make you double check the lists and such. The least these stories can do is help someone else not pass the same way as someone else and I think it's a wonderful way to help honour those who have unforrauely passed on too early, plus, it brings amazing awareness to the PCT missing hikers site and the like. I'd always be down and look forward to more videos such as these in the future, if you decided you wanted to make more/make them more prominent/etc. Thank you for not letting these people fade out of memory, and potentially saving lives via letting their stories be known. Its also very refreshing to see someone handle cases like this with such respect, in an era of true crime near glorification. Thank you.
He looks so thoughtful and sensitive. A bit dreamy, too. Not so much like a guy of tough outdoor adventures ... I feel very sorry for him ... =\
very sorry indeed. hopefully they find him soon
I do understand your point. But many of the men who love the outdoors are both thoughtful and sensitive. Look at KYLE, LOL!
But I agree with you, he probably wasn’t ready for the trail.
@@bobbiingram4258
😝
@@bobbiingram4258 I think they were trying to politely say that he looks soft.
@@jessepitt So what I'm hearing is that you've never seen a thru-hiker?
Very, very few of them are anywhere close to Navy SEALs...in terms of both athleticism and mindset!
Even Kyle said it!
It wasn't softness, it was poor planning. He goes to a foreign country and doesn't realize you need an adapter for the outlets and a new SIM card for your phone? That'd be a rookie mistake even if you were planning to spend your entire trip a 5 star hotel, much less 5 months hiking in the wilderness.
Plus, being too stubborn to hike or hitchhike into the nearest town and buy a new sunhat? Honestly, sounds to me like that instance, leaning a little bit less toward the tough guy "I'll just suck it up!" mindset would have helped him.
Hey, man.. been watching you for a long time. I REALLY appreciate the effort you put into this video by doing your research. You’ve come a long way from not even being able to pronounce anyone’s name you were talking about to actually doing to legwork to get all the info you can. That’s way more respectful to the dead and missing and it’s appreciated. Keep it up! 300k is on its way.
Thanks Kyle for keeping this mama case alive. His family deserves closure and I feel like the many wonder people that are out searching can help them. Prayers for his family and loved ones
Thank you thank you thank . And am not a hiker but I love to camp as did my parents so I grew up camping 4 weeks every summer. But I love your true crime hiking stories. I know there’s a bunch of true crime channels I can resort to but for some reason I love yours . So thank you
i appreciate you watching!
It's really nice to see a youtuber who did such extensive research and published the video with the relatives' permission. Def subscribing!
I love the description “Trail Angel”; however everyone also needs to be aware and careful as people can easily pose as one. Be safe everyone please.
Thank you for doing this story. I remember hiking Idyllwild back in 2019 and seeing his missing posters around on trails. Hard to believe nothing of his has been found now 6+ years on... truly terrifying
Such a sad story. I grew up in Idyllwild, and every year we had people getting rescued in the mountains in the spring. The common knowledge for locals was that you didn't plant your garden until after mothers day, as that was usually around the time we'd get our last freeze/snowfall. You also stayed out of the high country unless you were prepared; up there it could be brutal.
Smooth pivot to storytelling is paying off big time. These are fun to watch.
appreciate that! glad you enjoy them
What a shame. Ireland is a much different country to USA. I think he must’ve misjudged the trail. It’s completely different training in Ireland to USA. What a shame. Was it because he wasn’t American, therefore not urgent. Thank you for this lady and her team. God bless you ❤
No. Rangers, police and volunteers search for anyone reported missing.
The PCT and Appalachian trail is the perfect area for serial killers.
Also, sometimes people don't want to be found. Then again, he doesn't sound like he was real smart. This guy was way out of his element. I don't think it's bizarre at all. He made very bad decisions from beginning to end.
I stumbled across your channel yesterday and subscribed after two videos.
I fell asleep listening to your stories (this is an amazing feat) and now am on video 22 on the Hiking Mysteries & Stories playlist.
Listening while I type away at work.
I seldom subscribe to any channels, but really appreciate your content.
Thank you.
"I'm gonna fly to a strange country and wander for thousands of miles out in the wilderness without a cell phone, so you won't hear from me very often."
I can't believe that didn't work out for him.
Gosh I hate this made me giggle.
I’m already subscribed with notifications on. Thank you for your great content! I hope your surpass your goal 🎉
Watching and Subbed! Thanks Kyle!
Just imagine how cool it would be if thiese videos helped find any of the missing people. It would mean so much.
maybe someday! it's a huge dream of mine for sure
It is so sad to see his parents and to know there hearts are breaking ❤ I hope one day soon my dear friends will get some closure
I love the hiking vlogs but I think that you are doing a great service to the families by keeping these stories alive. Hopefully one day these hikers can be returned Home and laid to rest. Thank you Kyle.
I know people do it but I’ll never go hiking without my Gaia GPS and IPhone 14…
good! stay safe
@@KyleHatesHikingHope you’re doing okay, I noticed you didn’t post this week and didn’t see any announcement that you were taking a break or anything. Not complaining I just worry a little bit since I know you like hardcore hiking, so just wishing you well man.
Thanks for covering this, it was informative. I hiked the PCT in 2017, and summited San Jacinto on May 6th the night a snowstorm rolled through and stayed in the hut at the top. I got misdirected in that snow many times even using Guthook's app and GPS, I even remember hoping no one followed my footprints in the snow and got lost because I meandered so much. I can only imagine how quickly a novice with probably zero winter orienteering experience and no phone for navigation would lose his way. I think other possible explanations are extremely unlikely having hiked in very, very similar conditions to his at his time of disappearance. Also, I am pretty sure I know the trail angel you are referring to. As far as I know, he had accidentally stumbled into becoming a trail angel so not yet familiar with the culture, and he was unfortunately in his own downward spiral at that point, so unlikely to have been a very reliable witness. -Campo (Rainfly)
Thx to you and his family for doing this and sharing. 👍👍👍👍👍
How are you not at 300k yet?! I'm not even a serious hiker and this is one of the most interesting channels I've found, plus you're an amazing storyteller. Keep it up and you'll be there soon, it happens fast from here 🤩💫
I don’t hike at all and subscribed after the first video I watched. Fascinating and, sadly, tragic stories.
Does anyone know how often people disappear on the PCT? My next question would be if theres an area people go missing in more often? This seems like the 3rd story Ive heard like this on the Southern section. Living in California, knowing how populated it is, it blows me away how much wilderness there is here and how easy it is for people to disappear in it. A new cause of death, especially in So Cal has been heat stroke. Death Valley is the hottest place on earth. It gets too hot in the summer and fall all the way to the top of that trail. The Central Valley (everything below the foothills) is getting way too hot. Families die going for day hiking trips. They leave early and cant get back when the sun gets high. People think they can handle the heat. They cant.
Thanks for another great video! So fun to watch your channel grow!
What happens if you don't have a PCT permit? Are there inspections/conservation officers?
There are rangers every so often and you can get fined
@@KyleHatesHikingpublic property why not just hike at will.
@@tbenedict6335Because the government has to make their money off the taxpayer backs.
@@tbenedict6335 Because overuse of the trail can ruin ecosystems, and maintenance of the trail has to be funded somehow.
Google the PCT permitting. It’s not that big a deal and lots of trail stretches don’t need permits.
Love watching your channel!
that's so kind thank you!
Thanks for your videos, I was never into hiking or hiking related stories until stumbling upon your channel. Keep it up brother..
The sincerity and compassion in Kyle's voice made me a subscriber. I can't imagine what it's like for parents and family to lose a loved one in this manner. It must be devastating.
You need to respect how easy it is to get lost once you leave the trail just a bit. Nature can be a beast. My sister and I once got lost in a wood, when we were teenagers. Not for more than an hour, but the feeling of pure panic was so real. Im now 57 and I never take long walks without my dog, a german sherpard. And know I can trust her, when I tell her to find the car ❤
Thanks for the info. Planning to TH the PCT next year and I will keep him and mind, and depending on the timing, I'd be willing to spend some searching. I'll reach out to Cathy as my plans and times firm up.
Man oh man I love these strange mysterious missing person stories. Thank you for the video. Is this what most of your videos are about? I just found your channel. Cheers. 🥂
Carry a personal locator beacon when hiking, always!
A permit? To walk on a trail? I had never heard of this before.
They probably don't want a million people on the trail at the same time.
@@keithangstadt4950 Just more control. I bet people pay a fee?
@@carolmorgan6734 Probably. But one season of thousands of people showing up on the trail during the fair weather months and no one would want to go there any more. People go there to hike because of the solitude, not to see crowds of people.
Why issue permits for the most dangerous time of year to hike?
@@shabbykat273 Why ban drones from being used to search for missing people? Because people who make rules are quite often stupid.
This is so horrible.
My family has had some of the same phone issues years ago, you think the phone will work but when you get there you can't buy a SIM without being a resident or your phone doesn't run on the correct bands. We spent several days on a cross Atlantic vacation trying to get SIM cards. It's way better now but there are still bands that many phones won't run on unfortunately. I wish he had been able to get his phone to work :( everything went wrong 😭
You have some of the best videos and the way you put it all together works for me. 😊
Hey Kyle,
Lovin’ your videos. I appreciate the hard work you put into compiling and presenting all the facts in a clear, concise way.
O’Sullivan was is my class and about a week ahead of me.
It was so dangerous on Mt. San Jacinto that year (‘17 - The Year of Fire and Ice),
that the PCTA actually came up with a safer bypass hike to get up to Fuller Ridge. Seeing as how we didn’t have micro spikes or ice axes (waiting at KM for me), heeded the warnings and took the bypass trail.
Arrived below the summit of Mt. San Jacinto on Fuller Ridge. As thru-hikers who did the summit trail arrived into camp, they told of harrowing conditions, injuries they sustained and unlike “Superman” and me, chose to come across with out spikes or even an ice ax.
One 30-something hiker with a ton of experience told us how he fell and started accelerating to the edge of the west facing cliff, all out of sight of others!
About 10 feet from the ledge he was able to grab onto a small fir tree, which arrested his fall but got a few puncture wounds on his hand.
Others had twisted ankles and some falls that they were able to arrest, one by sliding and smashing into what sounded like a large manzanita bush/tree. But nothing worse than bloodied shins.
Though a week ahead of us, O’Sullivan’s disappearance had not been known or reported.
In sitting around the campfire that night talking to the other thru-hikers who did come over Mt. San Jacinto, quite a few had been traumatized and it was reflected in their harrowing tales of close calls and regret I’m not having and ice ax or crampons. A few did, but as you pointed out in Julian Sands video, this was better than nothing, but not as good as crampons, as these hikers attested.
Yep, there were quite a few places O’Sullivan could have gone over, and I have my suspicions of where, but I don’t think he would have intentionally lost the trail. I think he just lost his footing, and unlike the hiker I mentioned, did not have a tree to grab onto as he went sliding into the ether.
A tragic story, and I do hope that someday soon his family has closure. But like all your videos, important lessons to be learned.
Hey, I came close to ending up in your channel, same year, when I made a side trip through the Minarets solo and twice came close to ending my life. And no one knew where I was. I was supposed to be on The PCT. My near slide into appropriately named Iceberg Lake.
Like Otter, 50 years of backpacking and mountaineering experience led to hubris. The most dangerous attitude to have while in the backcountry!
Overconfidence in my experience and abilities almost landed me on your channel!
BTW, I believe that my year was the most dangerous as far as fatalities. O’Sullivan missing, . 2 deaths to drowning, one to fall, 1 heatstroke, 1 heart attack and 1 or 2 others unspecified. I tried getting info out of Jack Haskell, PCTA, but was not interested in giving me specifics.
Happy Trails Kyle!🐴🥾🏕️
-pApA H0m!€ (‘17) Sisters, OR
Thanks for taking the time to research this and make a video.
thanks for taking the time to watch! if you're on the southern PCT keep your eyes peeled for any of O'Sullivan's gear
@@KyleHatesHiking If I was hiking it I would. I'm just a weekend hiker/camper type. I'm amazed at thru hikers endurance though. ✌
Prayers to David’s family and I hope they get closure soon. Thank you for keeping this story alive.
I’ve always been interested in hiking but, with how clumsy I can be sometimes, I would probably end up on one of videos.
Love your stories. Just subscribed
Very sad. You are a true trail angel yourself. God bless all the lost and the heartbroken families and friends. 👼🙏🏻💜💫
These stories always hit close to home for me, I live right at the Canadian end of the PCT and have met a lot of cool people while section hiking the WA stretch. Plus I love serving groups of hikers a nice celebratory dinner at the restaurant I work at.
I’m curious, what kind of stuff do they order?
@@DSToNe19and83 a lot of double bacon cheeseburgers, and quite a few ribeye steaks.
@@justindunlap1235 interesting, that’s exactly what I would order!
🍻
Thanks for all of your efforts in these reports, Kyle. Your videos are well-organized and provide meaningful content for us. I'm glad you are shinning a light on the inconsistencies and inadequacies on the search and rescue processes for hikers (especially thru hikers like this case). It seems that there should be a better means of identifying potential lost hikers much earlier with an improved concerted effort by authorities. Keep up the good work!
I'm new to the channel and I'm loving it. I'm not sure if you take requests, but if so, you should do a video on the 2 Dutch girls who went missing while hiking El Pianista Trail in Boquete, Panama. It's a very eerie & disturbing story, and I'd love to hear your take on it.
I second this, very eerie and sad story
Such a tragedy, I hope his family gets answers❤.😢
me too!
Moral of this story, don’t hike alone, or without a cell phone and a gun
Or a gun?? I don't think so.
Love your hope and Kathy's perseverance. 300k soooonnn ❤
I don't think it is fair to disparage the authorities for calling off the search in Oct. (~10:45). After 3-4 months with nothing, what do you expect them to do? They have other responsibilities and unless the family is willing to step up to pay for a search, how can they be expected to search on with no end in sight? David could be living the dream on a beach in the south pacific. There must be a reasonable end to these searches.
Agreed but I wonder how volunteer groups can access to search if permits are given through a lottery system. Hopefully there is a way to work around that.
I completely agree.
The cost of these searches is astronomical . I live in British Columbia and so many inexperienced hikers end up in trouble hiking in our mountains. They go out with very poor or no survival items or plan and have to be rescued by volunteers who put their own safety at risk. Many of us think that there should be either some form of severe monetary to the province which funds the rescue crews or a severe fine for these hikers. Yes, there are many experienced well equipped hikers who have to be rescued but so often it's silly people who do dumb things such as skiers or snowmobilers going into closed areas or avalanche areas. But to admonish those that put in time, effort and their lives in jeopardy shows how entitled people have become.
And as regards relatives who want to conduct their own search in this dangerous area... really ?
Or, more likely than him having run off to a beach somewhere, he's dead having slipped down a rock crevasse somewhere.
Let's just be real.
@@jknapp98permits are only for hikers, not search efforts. I'm sure they allowed them to search without a permit.
Its is crazy to me that they wont make exceptions for search and rescue drone efforts.
Thanks Kyle.. just subbed
Fuller Ridge in snow is gnarley. The trail and signs are covered, many game trails leading to sheer dropoffs.
It’s like you are a friend telling me a story
It would have helped if he had a personal locator beacon on him
I subscribed! Can't wait for future episodes. 😊
He may be found at the bottom a a near sheer cliff in a remote stretch where many SAR folks can't even get to. It's slippery as hell up there.
The level of incompetence displayed in this story is amazing. Bummer for O’Sullivan.
Lone, inexperienced PCT hiker, up on the trail in the high country... has anyone given any thought to this unfortunate soul being attacked by a mountain lion, or a bear, maybe? In the case of mountain lions, many victims are completely unaware that they are being stalked.
1st time viewer. Pretty cool how you report like you're a friend of this particular individual. Solid research. New subscriber
Subscribed!!! Just found your channel!
His remains will be found one day, it’s not mysterious….
The universe is vast
.😢 feel for his family… seems like a nice guy …
I've heard several cases of europeans having trouble with excursions in the US essentially due to underestimating the mass expanses of land we have here, which could be understandably difficult to qualify when England's cross country trip for example, is a day trip.
Sad story. Thanks for the video. Greetings from germany.