Missing Motorcyclist Found By Searchers

On Sunday, January 4th, rangers were advised of a motorcycle that appeared to have been pushed down the bank at Alligator Back overlook near milepost 242 on the parkway. Rangers Eddy Cartaya, Bruce Gagnon and Colin Fisher responded. An investigation was conducted that revealed that the 57-year-old man who owned the bike had last been seen leaving his residence the previous day and that he’d left a note saying that he was going to South Carolina to visit a friend. The position of the motorcycle and the items left with it led the rangers to believe that the operator might be in the woods and in need of assistance. An interagency search was accordingly begun, with rangers leading both the search and the associated investigation. On Monday, January 5th, ranger Dustin Gunderson found the missing man, who had just hiked up from one of the park’s trails. He was cold, wet and dehydrated, but otherwise okay. His daughter took him to a local mental health facility, where he voluntarily admitted himself.