Two men found dead during search for Sasquatch

Two people were found dead in remote woods during a search for Sasquatch, according to Washington state officials.

Two people from Portland, Oregon, were found dead on Christmas Day after a three-day search after a family member reported the pair had not returned from a trip to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

The “tough” search involved more than 60 volunteers, searching with planes and dogs in “heavily wooded” terrain and extremely cold weather conditions, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“Both deaths appear to have been caused by risk based on weather conditions and poor preparations,” the statement said.

The sheriff’s office found a car 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.

Authorities have not released the names of the two victims, ages 37 and 59.

Weather conditions in the Cascade Mountains in the days before and during the discovery were cold, including snow, freezing rain, and temperatures dropping below zero.

Rescue workers also had to contend with high water levels in rivers and fallen trees.

Sasquatch, also commonly known as Bigfoot, has been reported hundreds of times in sightings in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and western Canada. Along with the Loch Ness Monster, this creature is one of the world’s most famous cryptids.

There have been so many reported sightings that some communities have taken measures to protect the hairy mythical creature.

In Skamania County, a Sasquatch is being harmed bears the fine $1,000 fine and one year in jail. According to the Skamania Chamber of Commerce, the law, which was initially passed in 1969, was specifically intended to protect both the Big Bearded Sasquatch and elk hunters.