WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:01.600 Today, I want to tell you about a journey that 2 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:03.879 I've been on for most of my life. Ever since 3 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:05.799 I was a kid, I've heard tales of bigfoot and 4 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:08.320 wild men while spending time with my friends and family. 5 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.439 As I grew older and read more about the paranormal, 6 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.679 my interest in encryptids and other things strange only deepened. 7 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:17.160 That's why I'm so excited to share with you what 8 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:21.640 I've personally become involved with the Untold Radio Network. The 9 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:25.280 Untold Radio Network is a live streaming podcast network that 10 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:29.359 airs a new show every day across all podcast platforms, YouTube, 11 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.119 and more. They have eight different shows on all sorts 12 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:36.119 of exciting topics such as bigfoot, cryptids, UFOs, aliens, and 13 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:39.479 much more. I even have my own show called Weird Encounters, 14 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:42.439 where I talk about all things strange. This is more 15 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:45.280 than just a podcast network. It's a community that allows 16 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:47.759 me to meet so many amazing people who share their 17 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:51.520 stories and experiences with strange. If you're interested in hearing 18 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:53.880 more of these stories and learning more about the paranormal 19 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:56.679 and encryptids, make sure you check out the Untold Radio 20 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.600 Network for all kinds of exciting shows. It's free to subscribe. 21 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:04.400 So what are you waiting for visit www dot untold 22 00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:06.560 radionetwork dot com today. 23 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:09.680 Now, what are your reporting? I got a screen going 24 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:12.120 on here. Something just kid with my dog, something to 25 00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:15.280 kill your dog? My dog. We're flying through there, over 26 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:19.439 the tree. I don't know how it did it? Okay, 27 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:22.120 damn it. I'm really confused. All I saw was my 28 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.200 dog coming over the fence and name was dead once 29 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:26.200 you hit the grill. I didn't see any cars. All 30 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:44.680 I saw was my dog coming over the fence. Happen? 31 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:48.000 What are you reporting? We got some wonder or something 32 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:58.640 crawling around out here? Did you see what it was? 33 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:01.200 It was enough out here. Look, I'm new to window 34 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:02.840 now and I don't need anything. I don't want to 35 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:12.199 go outside. Its hello, hit the boddy out here? What quin? 36 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:15.159 I'm out there? It's thought of a mention about text nine. 37 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:18.240 I don't know easy amount there. Yeah, I'm walking right, heady. 38 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:22.159 Welcome back to another special episode where we're diving into 39 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:26.800 more strange cases of National park nightmares. Today we're heading 40 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:29.639 deep into one of the most unsettling topics out there, 41 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:33.800 the strange and often baffling disappearances that have taken place 42 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:37.400 in our national parks and wild spaces. These are cases 43 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:41.039 where people vanish, often without a trace, and the facts 44 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:46.080 surrounding their disappearances leave behind more questions than answers. Sometimes 45 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:50.520 there's no logical explanation, sometimes the evidence found doesn't make sense, 46 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:55.599 and sometimes, despite exhaustive searches and investigations, no one really 47 00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:59.159 knows what happened. These are the stories that defy reason. 48 00:03:00.199 --> 00:03:02.639 Over the next few episodes, we'll be looking at several 49 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:06.639 of these strange cases, each one with its own bizarre twists, 50 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:11.960 unsettling details, and heartbreaking mysteries. And today we're starting with 51 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.159 the case of Jared Adadero. It's a story that has 52 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:19.120 haunted Colorado for more than two decades. It begins as 53 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:22.840 an ordinary day a father, his two children, and a 54 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.639 group of friendly hikers on a crisp autumn morning in 55 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:29.319 the Rockies. But by nightfall, three year old Jared would 56 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:33.120 be gone, vanishing without a trace in the wilderness. What 57 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:36.120 followed was one of the most extensive and confusing search 58 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:40.280 efforts in Colorado's history. There were theories of animal attacks, 59 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:45.439 possible abduction, and even wilder speculation. But despite years of 60 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:48.759 searching and the eventual discovery of his remains the mystery 61 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:52.599 of what really happened to Jared Adadero remains unsolved to 62 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:55.520 this day. So let's take a closer look at the 63 00:03:55.560 --> 00:03:59.520 events of that day, the investigation, and the strange details 64 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:04.319 that continueing you to baffle investigators and experts alike. Jared 65 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:07.240 was just three years old in nineteen ninety nine. He 66 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:10.520 was the son of Alan Adadero and Stacey McKissick, and 67 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:13.599 had an older sister named Joscelyn, who was six At 68 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:17.399 the time, Allan, a devoted single father and a physical 69 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:21.399 education teacher, was raising both kids on his own. To 70 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:23.879 help navigate life as a single parent, he joined the 71 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:27.720 Christian Singles Network, a local church group that quickly became 72 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:31.199 a big part of their lives. That October, Allen and 73 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.319 his kids were staying at the Pudra River Resort, a 74 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:38.040 lodge he co owned with his twin brother Arlen. One day, 75 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:41.720 members of the Christian Singles Network invited Joslyn and Jared 76 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:43.560 to join them on a quick trip to the state 77 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:48.000 fish hatchery nearby. At first, Alan hesitated, but when they 78 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:51.079 assured him it would be a short, safe outing, he agreed. 79 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:55.759 What happened next would change his life. Forever. At some 80 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:58.759 point during the hatchery visit, the group decided to take 81 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:01.279 a hike up the Big South Trail in the Arapaho 82 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:05.680 and Roosevelt National Forest, about fifteen miles west of the resort. 83 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:09.079 It was one of those stunning fall days. Colorado is 84 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:13.800 famous for clear skies, crisp bear and golden leaves. Maybe 85 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:16.800 that's what tempted them to venture farther, But this wasn't 86 00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:19.639 part of the original plan, and Alan hadn't known they'd 87 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:22.639 be heading out on a rugged trail. Details of the 88 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:26.399 hiker murky, and the timeline gets a little fuzzy. What 89 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:29.600 we do know is the group split up, some moving faster, 90 00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:34.879 others hanging back. Jared, full of energy and curiosity, ended 91 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:38.199 up running ahead. Along the way. He stopped to chat 92 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:41.800 with two fishermen who later told investigators they weren't alarmed. 93 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:44.680 They thought Jared was just part of the group they 94 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:48.560 saw a short distance behind. That was the last confirmed 95 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.720 sighting of Jared out of Darrow. Not long after, the 96 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:55.480 group heard a scream. Some described it as playful, maybe 97 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:58.480 like kids rough housing or someone pretending to scare him. 98 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:02.560 Others felt it sounded more serious. Either way, it was 99 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:06.079 chilling in hindsight. The group searched for about an hour 100 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:08.639 before returning to the resort to tell Alan his son 101 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:13.959 was missing. Allan was devastated. Witnesses say he collapsed, beating 102 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:17.399 his chest and screaming, they lost my baby, They lost 103 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:21.279 my baby. Search and rescue teams were quickly called in 104 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:25.560 Larimer County under Sheriff Bill Nelson led the efforts. He 105 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:29.120 was confident they'd find Jared, after all, they'd done this 106 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:32.360 countless times before. He figured it was just a matter 107 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:36.240 of locating a scared little boy hiding somewhere nearby. But 108 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:38.759 as night turned to morning with no sign of Jared, 109 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:43.519 his optimism began to fade. The search was massive, but chaotic. 110 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:47.519 The media swarmed the area, drawing comparisons to the recent 111 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:52.399 John Benet Ramsay case, another tragic and unsolved mystery involving 112 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:57.240 a Colorado child. Reporters, psychics, and even people claiming to 113 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:00.920 have spiritual powers flocked to the scene. One man showed 114 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.720 up with a donkey, claiming he could track Jared down. 115 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:07.959 Another performed a Native American ritual begging the mountain to 116 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:11.879 return the boy. As if things couldn't get worse, tragedy 117 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:15.399 struck the search team. A military helicopter from F. E. 118 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:19.199 Warren Air Force Base crashed during the mission. The UH 119 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:22.360 one N Hughey had been refueling, then struggled in the 120 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:25.959 thin mountain air. It stalled and plunged one hundred feet 121 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:30.040 into the forest. One of the rescuers on board, Mark Sheets, 122 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:34.759 suffered a severe concussion, a shattered leg, broken vertebrae, and 123 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:38.040 a broken shoulder. He later said he'd volunteered for the 124 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:41.600 mission hoping to make a difference, only to nearly lose 125 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:45.639 his own life. Despite everyone's best efforts, no trace of 126 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:51.360 Jared was found. Weeks passed, then months, then years, and 127 00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:55.199 the case went cold. It wasn't until May sixth two 128 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:58.319 thousand and three, nearly four years later, that two hikers, 129 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:02.399 Rob Osborne and Gareth Watt, stumbled upon something in Pooder Canyon, 130 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:06.040 near the Big South Trail. They found a child's fleece sweater, 131 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:09.560 blue pants, and a tiny pair of Tarzan sneakers, the 132 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:13.600 very shoes Jared had been wearing the day he disappeared. Nearby, 133 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.279 they found a human molar and a large piece of skull. 134 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:20.759 DNA testing confirmed what Alan had feared for years. It 135 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:25.120 was Jared, but the discovery only deepened the mystery. Many 136 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:29.040 believed a mountain lion had killed him. Yet experts, including 137 00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:33.519 Allan himself, questioned that theory. The sweater showed no signs 138 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:36.200 of a typical big cat attack, and the pants were 139 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:40.120 found turned inside out, something a wild animal wouldn't do. 140 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:44.759 Even the sneakers looked remarkably undamaged, with no evidence they 141 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:48.360 had been dragged through the wilderness. Mountain lion tracks had 142 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:52.240 been found near Jared's footprints during the initial search. According 143 00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:55.399 to Allan, they seemed to converge right where Jared's tracks 144 00:08:55.639 --> 00:09:01.440 suddenly vanished. Still, doubts lingered leave. Jared was abducted by 145 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.120 a human predator, someone who later dumped his clothing and remains. 146 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:08.919 Authorities investigated people close to the family but found no 147 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.440 solid leads. Adding to the strange twists, Allan was later 148 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.840 harassed by a man claiming to be Jared. The man 149 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:21.240 was eventually arrested for violating a restraining order. DNA evidence 150 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:24.639 had already confirmed Jared's remains, so the man's claims were 151 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:31.000 quickly dismissed. Today, Jared's case remains officially unsolved. Allan Adadaro 152 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.080 chose to keep his son's remains, creating a shrine in 153 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:37.639 Jared's old bedroom. He finds peace in his faith and 154 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:41.159 believes he'll see Jared again one day. In his book 155 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:45.559 Missing the Jared Adadaro Story, Alan talks about his journey 156 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.120 through grief and hope and how his beliefs helped him 157 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:53.039 find meaning in unimaginable loss. Jared's story left an impact 158 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:57.519 on Colorado. In his memory, Governor Bill Riddard declared September 159 00:09:57.559 --> 00:10:01.960 eighth Recreational Safety Awareness Week. It's a solemn reminder of 160 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.919 the importance of caution and preparedness when we head into 161 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:08.600 the wild. There have been two books written about Jared's case, 162 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:13.320 both offering insight into the heartbreak, the unanswered questions, and 163 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:17.440 a father's enduring love, and as of today, the mystery 164 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:20.159 of what really happened to Jared out of Darro remains 165 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.519 one of the Mountain's deepest secrets. As we close the 166 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:27.679 chapter on Jared Out of Darro's heartbreaking and perplexing case, 167 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:30.559 it's hard not to be left with a sense of unease. 168 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:33.919 His story reminds us just how quickly things can go 169 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:37.080 wrong in the wild, how a moment's decision can lead 170 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:41.320 to a lifetime of unanswered questions. Despite years of searching, 171 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:45.399 expert theories and the discovery of his remains, what exactly 172 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:48.679 happened to Jared that day in the mountains remains a mystery. 173 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:52.679 But his story, as tragic as it is, is far 174 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:57.039 from unique. There are dozens hundreds of cases where people 175 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:01.120 vanish in the vast expanse of America's national park. Some 176 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:05.399 are experienced hikers, some are young children. Some, like Jared, 177 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:09.200 disappear almost within sight of others. And what's most chilling 178 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:13.600 is how often these cases leave no trace, no clues, nothing, 179 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:17.240 And that brings us to our next case. It's more recent, 180 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:22.480 it's quieter, but it's just as baffling. In twenty nineteen, 181 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:25.600 a seventy year old man named James H. Prewitt set 182 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:28.120 out for a day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. 183 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:32.080 He was familiar with the outdoors, prepared for the cold, 184 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:34.840 and expected back by the end of the day. But 185 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:38.200 James never returned, and when searchers went looking for him, 186 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:44.519 they found absolutely nothing. No footprints, no gear, not even 187 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.480 a scrap of clothing. It's as if he walked into 188 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:51.399 the Colorado Wilderness and simply vanished. Let's take a closer 189 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:54.320 look at the disappearance of James Pruitt and why this 190 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:58.919 case continues to confound those who search for answers. James H. 191 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.240 Prewitt was seventy years years old when he embarked on 192 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:03.919 what should have been an ordinary day hike on February 193 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:08.440 twenty eighth, twenty nineteen. He arrived at the Glacier Gorge 194 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:11.960 Trailhead parking lot, a popular entry point for hikers in 195 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:16.399 Rocky Mountain National Park. Prewett was an experienced hiker, and 196 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:20.320 nothing about his trip seemed unusual. However, no one knows 197 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:23.360 exactly which route he intended to take that day. He 198 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:27.320 never told anyone his plans. He parked his car, gathered 199 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:30.200 his gear, and set off into the wild, and then 200 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:34.559 he was gone. Days passed with no sign of Pruet, 201 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:38.440 no call for help, no word of his whereabouts. When 202 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:41.919 he failed to return, there was no immediate alarm. Perhaps 203 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:44.639 he had decided to extend his trip, But as the 204 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:48.320 days stretched on, his absence became more and more concerning. 205 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:52.600 By March third, park rangers grew suspicious when they noticed 206 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:55.480 his vehicle still sitting in the same spot at Glacier 207 00:12:55.480 --> 00:13:00.440 Gorge trailhead, untouched and covered in fresh snow. That was 208 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:04.960 the moment everything changed. A full scale search began, but 209 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:08.360 there was one major problem. The weather had already erased 210 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:12.120 any trace of his journey. When search efforts finally kicked off, 211 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:14.759 more than two feet of snow had fallen in the area. 212 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.240 Bearing any tracks that could have given investigators a clue 213 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:21.360 as to where Pruit had gone. His path into the 214 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:25.799 wilderness had been completely wiped away. Teams of rangers, volunteers, 215 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:30.679 and professional search and rescue units combed the area, using helicopters, drones, 216 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:33.559 and avalanche rescue dogs to try and pick up any 217 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.840 sign of him. But Rocky Mountain National Park and Winter 218 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:42.639 is an unforgiving landscape, treacherous, unpredictable, and vast. It didn't 219 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:44.879 take long for the search teams to realize they were 220 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:50.240 up against impossible odds. The snowfall had created severe avalanche risks, 221 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:54.600 making some areas too dangerous to even explore. Sub Zero 222 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:59.519 temperatures and high winds made visibility difficult. Despite their best efforts, 223 00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:03.480 not a single trace of James Pruitt was found. No footprints, 224 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:08.559 no gear, no clothing, nothing. By all appearances, It was 225 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:11.559 as if he had simply vanished into thin air, with 226 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.200 no remains or belongings found. All investigators can do is 227 00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:18.320 speculate about what may have happened to him. There are 228 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:21.840 a few key theories. One of the most straightforward explanations 229 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:25.120 is that Pruit simply lost his way. It's easy to 230 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:28.440 become disoriented in a snow covered wilderness, and if he 231 00:14:28.519 --> 00:14:31.159 wandered off the main trail, he may have gotten stuck 232 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:33.480 in deep snow or fallen into an area where he 233 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:37.799 couldn't escape. With temperatures well below freezing and the unpredictable 234 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.240 weather of the Rockies, hypothermia could have set in quickly, 235 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:45.559 making it impossible for him to seek help. Rocky Mountain 236 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:48.720 National Park is full of steep cliffs, ravines, and hidden 237 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:52.240 drop offs, many of which become invisible under heavy snow. 238 00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:56.279 One possibility is that Pruitt accidentally walked over a snow 239 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:59.919 covered crevasse or fell into a deep canyon, becoming completely 240 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:04.159 hidden from view. And stay tuned for more sasquatch ott 241 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:11.039 to see We'll be right back after these messages. Avalanches 242 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:13.840 were also a risk during that time, and while no 243 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:17.639 confirmed avalanches were reported, in the exact area he disappeared. 244 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.240 It's possible that a small slide buried him in the snow, 245 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:26.600 making recovery efforts impossible. Pruitt was seventy years old, Even 246 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:29.639 though he was an experienced hiker. Age and health factors 247 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:34.240 always play a role in physical endurance, especially in extreme environments. 248 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:38.600 A sudden heart attack, stroke, or another medical event could 249 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:41.480 have incapacitated him before he had a chance to call 250 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:44.440 for help. If this happened in a remote part of 251 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:47.320 the park, he may have collapsed and quickly become buried 252 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:50.200 under snow and ice before rescuers even had a chance 253 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:53.320 to look for him. While the official theories are the 254 00:15:53.320 --> 00:15:58.000 most logical, the case has also sparked speculation. The lack 255 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:01.720 of any physical evidence, no gear, no clothing, no body 256 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:05.879 lead some to wonder if something more bizarre happened. There 257 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:09.200 are stories, though purely speculative, of other cases in which 258 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:12.200 people seem to vanish without a trace in national parks. 259 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:16.240 Some link these cases to missing four one pin one phenomena, 260 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:21.200 a term used for unexplained disappearances in the wilderness. However, 261 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:25.440 without any evidence of foul play or anything supernatural, these 262 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:29.240 remain just theories. In the end, what happened to James 263 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:32.960 Pruett remains a mystery to this day. Not a single 264 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:37.159 clue has been found, no footprints, no camp site, no 265 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:40.240 scraps of clothing, nothing to suggest where he might have 266 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:43.679 gone or what might have happened. His case remains open 267 00:16:43.720 --> 00:16:47.360 but unsolved, and officials have presumed him to ceased due 268 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.799 to the extreme conditions and length of time since his disappearance. 269 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:54.279 For his family and friends, the lack of closure is 270 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:58.440 perhaps the hardest part. Without a body, without a note, 271 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:02.480 without a single sign, there are no real answers, and 272 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:05.480 so another name is added to the long and eerie 273 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:08.359 list of those who have vanished in America's national parks, 274 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:13.480 their stories forever left open ended. James Pruitt's disappearance is 275 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:16.359 a chilling reminder of how quickly nature can swallow a 276 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:20.519 person whole. Even experienced hikers can fall victim to the 277 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:25.960 unpredictable dangers of the wilderness. And yet his case isn't unique. 278 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:29.880 There are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar cases, people 279 00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:32.319 who set out for what should have been an ordinary hike, 280 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:36.200 only to vanish without a trace. As we continue our 281 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:40.319 journey into the strange and often unexplained disappearances from America's 282 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:44.039 national parks. We come to a case that's as unsettling 283 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.440 as it is mysterious. This is the story of Jong 284 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:51.519 Yon Juan, a forty five year old man from Los Angeles, California, 285 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:55.240 who disappeared without a trace inside Grand Canyon National Park. 286 00:17:56.200 --> 00:18:01.000 It was September seventeenth, twenty seventeen. Rangers found a white 287 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:04.319 Toyota Camry parked at Moran Point on the south rim 288 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:07.240 of the Grand Canyon. Moran Point is one of those 289 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:10.759 iconic overlooks where visitors often stopped to take in sweeping 290 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:14.519 views of the canyon. It's not far from Desert View Drive, 291 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.480 a place where tourists frequently pull off to watch the 292 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.279 sun rise or set. But this particular car wasn't parked 293 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:24.519 like it belonged to a tourist just passing through. The 294 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:27.279 vehicle had been sitting there long enough to raise concern, 295 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:30.559 and when rangers ran the plates, they discovered it was 296 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.359 registered to Jong Yan Juan, a resident of Los Angeles. 297 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:38.200 That's where things started to get strange. Juan was not 298 00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:41.279 known to have any specific plans in the area. No 299 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:44.839 one family, friends, or acquaintances knew he was heading to 300 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:47.960 the Grand Canyon. He hadn't told anyone he was taking 301 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:51.440 a trip. There was no record of him reserving lodging nearby, 302 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.400 and no clear reason why he would have chosen Moran 303 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:58.359 Point as a destination. The last confirmed sighting of his 304 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:01.720 vehicle had been earlier that day, near the New Hants trailhead. 305 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:05.200 For those unfamiliar, New Hants Trail is one of the 306 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:09.319 most rugged, remote and least maintained trails on the South Rim. 307 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:12.440 It's not a trail you stumble across by accident, and 308 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:17.200 it's certainly not recommended for inexperienced hikers. Descending steeply for 309 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:20.440 over six miles, the trail drops about four thy five 310 00:19:20.519 --> 00:19:24.720 hundred feet in elevation to the Colorado River. Conditions are harsh, 311 00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:28.559 there's little shade, no water sources, and plenty of warnings 312 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:32.599 about the difficulty level. Even seasoned hikers take it seriously. 313 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:35.839 There's no evidence that Jong Yan ever planned to hike 314 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:39.400 that trail, or any trail for that matter, but his 315 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:43.960 car being seen there raises the obvious question why why 316 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:46.759 would a man from Los Angeles who had no known 317 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:49.960 connection to the area park his car near a remote, 318 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:54.319 dangerous trailhead, and then why was his car later found 319 00:19:54.359 --> 00:19:58.000 at Moran Point. It was almost as if he or 320 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:02.480 someone else moved it. From the moment park rangers realized 321 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:06.720 something wasn't right, they launched a search operation. They scoured 322 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.240 the area around Moran Point, sent teams down Neuhant's trail, 323 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:13.680 and conducted aerial searches. But there was no sign of 324 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:18.319 Jong Yon Juan. No footprints, no dropped items, no clues. 325 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:22.599 He was simply gone. Unlike other parts of Grand Canyon 326 00:20:22.680 --> 00:20:27.599 National Park, where disappearances sometimes have clear explanations heat stroke, 327 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:34.039 dehydration accidents, the circumstances here were different. Juan wasn't seen hiking, 328 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.240 He wasn't seen at a visitor center or interacting with 329 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:40.680 anyone in the park. His presence there was a complete 330 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:44.200 mystery from the start. Even more perplexing was the fact 331 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:47.440 that there was no indication of his intentions. He left 332 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:50.920 no notes, no messages, He made no phone calls or 333 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:54.000 text to anyone letting them know where he was. There's 334 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.400 been no financial activity since he vanished. His family didn't 335 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:00.400 report him missing before the discovery of his car because 336 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:03.319 they didn't even know he was gone. Some wonder if 337 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:07.119 jong Yan intentionally disappeared. Did he come to the Grand 338 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:09.680 Canyon with the intent to start a new life somewhere 339 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:12.279 off the grid, or did he plan to end his 340 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:15.440 life at one of the most famous and remote landscapes 341 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:18.480 in the world. The problem with those theories is that 342 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.279 there's no supporting evidence. No witnesses saw him approach the 343 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.559 canyon's edge, no remains have ever been found at the 344 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:28.599 bottom of the cliffs near Moran Point or along the 345 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:33.279 steep treacherous New Hants Trail, and typically when someone vanishes 346 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:38.319 with the intent to disappear, there are signs, preparations, clues 347 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:42.880 left behind. In this case, there's nothing. It's as if 348 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:47.039 Jan yan Yan simply vanished into thin air. Grand Canyon 349 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:51.359 National Park has a long history of strange disappearances. Every year, 350 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:55.279 millions of visitors passed through, many staying safely on marked 351 00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:59.519 paths and overlooks. But for those who wander beyond intentionally 352 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:04.480 or otherwise, the risks are extreme. Temperatures can soar, terrain 353 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:08.559 is brutal, and the sheer drop offs are unforgiving. Yet 354 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:11.759 even in those harsh conditions, it's rare for someone to disappear, 355 00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:16.079 so completely that no trace is ever found. As of today, 356 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:20.160 jong Yan One's whereabouts remain unknown. His case is still 357 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.359 open with the National Park Service, and authorities continue to 358 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:27.039 seek any information that could provide answers. But the truth 359 00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:30.319 is we may never know what happened, and that's the 360 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:34.880 unsettling reality of America's wild places. For all their beauty, 361 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:39.160 they hold secrets, secrets that sometimes never give up their dead. 362 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:42.920 As we leave behind the mystery of Jong Yan Yuan, 363 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:45.880 a man who vanished without explanation from one of the 364 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:50.039 most iconic and visited national parks in America, we're left 365 00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:54.119 with a lingering question. How does someone simply disappear without 366 00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:58.119 a trace. And yet, as strange as jong Yan's case is, 367 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:02.240 it's far from the only story of its kind. In fact, 368 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:05.799 some of the most unsettling disappearances involved those who seem 369 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:10.359 least likely to wander far young children. Children tend to 370 00:23:10.440 --> 00:23:14.599 leave evidence behind, They leave footprints, they call out when 371 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:17.400 they're lost or frightened, and most of the time, when 372 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:21.119 a child goes missing, searchers are able to find them quickly. 373 00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:24.920 But that wasn't the case with Samuel Bolka. In our 374 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:28.119 next story, we travel north to Crater Lake National Park 375 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:32.160 in Oregon, where eight year old Samuel, an energetic, bright 376 00:23:32.279 --> 00:23:36.200 and playful boy, vanished in broad daylight while his father 377 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:39.720 watched from only a few yards away. What followed was 378 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:43.119 one of the most exhaustive and frustrating searches ever conducted 379 00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:46.240 in the park, and to this day, the disappearance of 380 00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:49.160 Samuel Boylka remains one of the most haunting mysteries of 381 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:53.519 the Pacific Northwest. October fourteenth, two thousand and six, was 382 00:23:53.559 --> 00:23:57.920 a clear, chilly autumn day. Samuel, who his family affectionately 383 00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:02.079 called Sammy, was visiting Crater Lake with his father, Kenneth Bowlka. 384 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:05.480 The two had made the trip from their home in Portland, Oregon, 385 00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:08.920 to enjoy a weekend getaway. It was the first time 386 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:12.319 Kenneth had taken his son on a trip like this alone. 387 00:24:12.440 --> 00:24:16.279 Sammy was a bright, energetic boy. He loved video games, 388 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:20.799 riding his bike, and playing miniature golf. He also had autism, 389 00:24:21.079 --> 00:24:23.160 which made the world around him a little different than 390 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:26.279 it was for most kids his age. He was described 391 00:24:26.279 --> 00:24:29.720 as high functioning, but could sometimes become fixated on things 392 00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:33.720 or have difficulty with transitions. He wasn't prone to wandering 393 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:36.680 off though and his family had always taken great care 394 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:41.279 to ensure his safety. That afternoon, around four pm, Kenneth 395 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:45.240 and Sammy stopped at a popular scenic overlook called Cleetwood Cove, 396 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:49.039 a trailhead on the north side of Crater Lake's rim. 397 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:52.400 They parked their car at the pullout, intending to enjoy 398 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:54.640 the view of the deep blue water that fills the 399 00:24:54.680 --> 00:24:59.759 ancient volcanic caldera. What happened next has puzzled investigators and 400 00:24:59.799 --> 00:25:03.400 haunt haunted Sammy's family ever since. As they got out 401 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:05.839