Two men were found dead in a remote forest while searching for a Sasquatch, according to authorities in Washington state.
The two men from Portland, Oregon, were found dead after a three-day search began on Christmas Day after a family member reported the couple had not returned from a trip to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
The “exhausting” search included more than 60 volunteers searching with aircraft and dogs in a “heavily wooded” area and in extremely cold weather conditions, the Skamania County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
“Both deaths appear to be due to exposure to the virus, based on weather conditions and poor preparation,” the statement said.
The Sheriff's Office found a vehicle belonging to the victims near the town of Willard, and the search refocused on that area, the statement said. Drones were also used, and a Coast Guard helicopter team was called in to assist in the search.
Officials have not released the names of the victims, who are 37 and 59 years old.
Weather conditions in the Cascade Mountains were extremely cold in the days leading up to and during the search, which included falling snow, freezing rain and temperatures dropping below freezing.
Rescuers also had to battle rising river levels and fallen trees.
Hundreds of sightings of Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, have been reported in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and western Canada. This creature, along with the Loch Ness Monster, is one of the most famous cryptids in the world.
There have been so many alleged sightings that some communities have taken measures to protect the mythical hairy creature.
In Skamania County, sasquatch abuse carries a fine $1,000 and one year in prison. The law, initially passed in 1969, was intended to protect both Sasquatch and elk hunters with particularly large beards, according to the Skamania Chamber of Commerce.
