AK AK - Steve Keel, 61, missing from hunting trip, from TN - Aug 27, 2022

[RickshawFan]

It’s a mistake to think that if there’s nothing much out there a person or remains would be found.
This will give you an idea that it’s possible to die in the wilderness and not be found (at least for many days), even if there’s ZERO vegetation.

Body of missing hiker found at White Sands National Park after nearly a week of searching

State Police Officer Ray Wilson said there did not appear to be any foul play and that Brad Utegaar, 27, had a backpack and water bottles with him.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Laughing]

GPS will work without cell service.

IF you actually have GPS and are not relying on cell signal for navigation.

jmhexperience, while holding a paper map & trying to talk sense into Mr. Laughing.

Yup, Your Mileage May Vary whilst driving around lost....

imho lrr lrr lrr lrr lrr

 

[RickshawFan]

Question….

If SK had a working phone and if his buddy had used “find my phone”, could he have found SK? Much like parents keep track of kids?
Even if there’s no cell service? Find my phone can use blue tooth, correct?

 

[RickshawFan]

A big aha that I’m learning from these cases. ALWAYS carry a battery recharger in the backcountry. It seems like every single time a lost person manages to contact SAR, their phone is dying. With the new iphone capability to lock into satellites in the absence of cell service, this will be even more crucial, because the service will be available much of the time. Bottom line: the phone has to work.

 

[Gardenista]

Couple things that have been bugging me. According to the FB group, their emergency plan was they would meet at the van if they got separated. It took Bryan 4 hours to go from base camp to the van. It is 2.8 miles.

The other thing is you can see the mountains in the photos. Seems like using the mountains as a landmark would be a really good way to get your bearings, at least to know the direction to the road.

 

[neesaki]

Couple things that have been bugging me. According to the FB group, their emergency plan was they would meet at the van if they got separated. It took Bryan 4 hours to go from base camp to the van. It is 2.8 miles.

The other thing is you can see the mountains in the photos. Seems like using the mountains as a landmark would be a really good way to get your bearings, at least to know the direction to the road.

I know they stress the difficulty of the terrain, but what is the average mile per hour hiking time there, given the terrain. That does seem a long time.

What is also nagging at me is that Bryan found his way back to the meat pack via the planted poles. If he did it without any problem why would Steve not have been able to? It doesn’t really make sense to me.

 

[Gardenista]

I know they stress the difficulty of the terrain, but what is the average mile per hour hiking time there, given the terrain. That does seem a long time.

What is also nagging at me is that Bryan found his way back to the meat pack via the planted poles. If he did it without any problem why would Steve not have been able to? It doesn’t really make sense to me.

I found a pipeline weather station 11 miles from their camp and the weather was perfect the whole time they were there. They got there the 20th. So there wasn't any additional water making it boggier than usual

Personal Weather Station Dashboard | Weather Underground

Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weather reports, maps & tropical weather conditions for locations worldwide.

www.wunderground.com

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

I think it’s likely Bryan was better at navigating since he didn’t have issues finding the stick. Maybe he was the one getting them from point A to point B throughout the trip. Remember they were walking at least two to three miles from base camp as they were hunting. They had been making it back without a problem (that we know of).

I doubt they were leaving hiking poles along the route. But they did so for Steve to find a pack that was a short distance away. And also the instruction by Bryan to fire a shot if you have trouble. Almost as if they knew he might need assistance.

ETA - I learned on the Find Steve page that Bryan was 20 years younger. Not that it matters, just something I didn‘t realize.

 

[annpats]

I think it’s likely Bryan was better at navigating since he didn’t have issues finding the stick.

Good point. Bryan went to the van to sleep, then walked back to the camp, then found the meat that was left by Steve all without any problems.

Maybe Bryan used a GPS device and Steve didn't?
Bryan loaned him a GPS device and he left it in his tent the morning he went to fetch the meat.

If Bryan was aware that Steve's navigational skills weren't that strong, he really should have accompanied him to fetch the meat.

MOO.

 

[Gardenista]

I think it’s likely Bryan was better at navigating since he didn’t have issues finding the stick. Maybe he was the one getting them from point A to point B throughout the trip. Remember they were walking at least two to three miles from base camp as they were hunting. They had been making it back without a problem (that we know of).

I doubt they were leaving hiking poles along the route. But they did so for Steve to find a pack that was a short distance away. And also the instruction by Bryan to fire a shot if you have trouble. Almost as if they knew he might need assistance.

ETA - I learned on the Find Steve page that Bryan was 20 years younger. Not that it matters, just something I didn‘t realize.

I'm not sure how often they went back to base camp. They also set up camp at 5 miles in.

 

[RickshawFan]

What is also nagging at me is that Bryan found his way back to the meat pack via the planted poles. If he did it without any problem why would Steve not have been able to? It doesn’t really make sense to me.

Snipped for focus...

There are many reasons why this could happen:
--Bryan's memory of the location may have been better
--Bryan may not have panicked
--Bryan might be taller. and could see the poles at all times
--Bryan might have better eyesight
--Bryan's orienting gizmo may have been set correctly
--Bryan might have used binoculars
--Bryan wasn't lost (see ^^^ for the videos on "lost person behavior", and what it does to you)
--Bryan might not have lost sighting of the two poles at any time
--Bryan might have recorded the location on his etrex, and didn't need poles at all

etc. etc.

 

[RickshawFan]

I found a pipeline weather station 11 miles from their camp and the weather was perfect the whole time they were there. They got there the 20th. So there wasn't any additional water making it boggier than usual

Personal Weather Station Dashboard | Weather Underground

Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weather reports, maps & tropical weather conditions for locations worldwide.

www.wunderground.com

It was too boggy for search helicopters to land, though IIRC.

 

[RickshawFan]

I think it’s likely Bryan was better at navigating since he didn’t have issues finding the stick. Maybe he was the one getting them from point A to point B throughout the trip. Remember they were walking at least two to three miles from base camp as they were hunting. They had been making it back without a problem (that we know of).

I doubt they were leaving hiking poles along the route. But they did so for Steve to find a pack that was a short distance away. And also the instruction by Bryan to fire a shot if you have trouble. Almost as if they knew he might need assistance.

ETA - I learned on the Find Steve page that Bryan was 20 years younger. Not that it matters, just something I didn‘t realize.

The reality is more confusing: they actually had 2 camps. One for "base camp", the other for "hunting camp".

 

[OddOneOut]

A big aha that I’m learning from these cases. ALWAYS carry a battery recharger in the backcountry. It seems like every single time a lost person manages to contact SAR, their phone is dying. With the new iphone capability to lock into satellites in the absence of cell service, this will be even more crucial, because the service will be available much of the time. Bottom line: the phone has to work.

And, an electricity source to plug it into such as a hand powered radio or use a solar charger (only good if there is sunlight).

 

[OddOneOut]

I haven't seen any mention of footprints. If the ground was soft enough to sink into, shouldn't there have been footprints?

 

[vls12345]

An article from a couple of days ago...

Search party back from Alaska without missing Dover man

The man's wife said his disappearance remains a mystery.

www.wsmv.com

 

[annpats]

I haven't seen any mention of footprints. If the ground was soft enough to sink into, shouldn't there have been footprints?

You'd have thought!

I wonder if a native indigenous tracker can find anything?

Worth trying! I don't think there are too many options left.

 

[Armchair63]

Alaskan locals taking over search for missing Dover man, Steve Keel, in remote wilderness

Even though the last Tennessee-based search crew returned to Nashville Tuesday, efforts to find Steve Keel who disappeared in Alaska last month aren’t over.

www.wkrn.com

The search appeared to be winding down. Now the locals have picked up using there own money and resources in an effort to find Steve keel.

 

[neesaki]

There’s now a video posted on the FB page. It shows Steve’s tent, and the first pole on the ridge can be seen from there.

 

[neesaki]

Alaskan locals taking over search for missing Dover man, Steve Keel, in remote wilderness

Even though the last Tennessee-based search crew returned to Nashville Tuesday, efforts to find Steve Keel who disappeared in Alaska last month aren’t over.

www.wkrn.com

The search appeared to be winding down. Now the locals have picked up using there own money and resources in an effort to find Steve keel.

That would be something if they found him that way.

“ In the meantime, Liz requested the North Slope Search and Rescue deploy their RECCO device, which is placed on a helicopter and can ping a cell phone’s circuit board, even if the cell phone battery is dead.”