Two Oregon men found dead during search for Sasquatch

According to authorities in Washington state, two men were found dead in a remote forest while searching for Sasquatch.

Two men from Portland, Oregon, have been found dead following a three-day search that began on Christmas Day after a family member reported the pair had not returned from a trip to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

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

“Both deaths appear to have occurred due to exposure to weather conditions and poor preparation,” the statement said.

The sheriff’s office said in a statement that the victim’s vehicle was located near the town of Willard and the search was redirected to the area. Drones were also used and a Coast Guard helicopter group was called in to assist in the search.

Officials have not named the two dead, aged 37 and 59.

Weather conditions in the Cascade Mountains were cold the day before and during the search, with snow, freezing rain and temperatures dropping below freezing.

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

Hundreds of sightings of the Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, have been reported 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 alleged sightings that some communities have taken steps to protect the hairy mythical creature.

In Skamania County, sasquatch damage carries a fine $1,000 (£797) and one year in prison. The law, originally passed in 1969, was intended to protect both sasquatch and moose hunters with particularly large beards, according to the Skamania Chamber of Commerce.