mr_bean Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 (edited) Here is a link to a brief news article on the situation. My partner's cousin, David was in Vancouver on his first trip to the northwest on a work trip. Staying in Vancouver, he took last Wednesday (05/25) to go on a hike on Grouse Mountain. Cameras videotaped him at the base and at the summit but never again at the base. Grouse Mountain is not a physical mountaineering challenge but I thought the community here might be an avenue to information we can better use in finding David. Hope is dwindling at finding him alive and time is running short. Search efforts are being scaled back and his sister and family are hoping to find some person who saw him on that day. If you or anyone you know was at Grouse Mountain (working/hiking/riding/visiting), please contact me directly. According to the news reports, it is not even clear David went for the hike that day but any information those of you familiar with the area could provide would be welcome. Additionally, any of you with ideas on how to get this covered tonight on Seattle stations to make sure no one in the Seattle area saw David that day, your insight would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, and wish us the best. AndyBean Edited May 31, 2005 by mr_bean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmace Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 David was in Vancouver on his first trip to the northwest on a work trip. Staying in Vancouver The article I read said he frequents vancouver, and comes here twice a year and hikes around to pass the time between meetings, this is a quote form your article Koch said she does not think it is unusual that her husband went up the mountain so late in the day. She said he has been to Grouse Mountain several times before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 I remember several years ago there was a fellow who came to Seattle for a meeting. He went to Mt. Rainier for a hike. It was spring, if I remember correctly. He was never seen again. They figure he got off trail in the snow, became exhausted and died of exposure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knelson Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Try PMing "king5news". She might be able to help. (Local NBC TV station.) -kurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_bean Posted May 31, 2005 Author Share Posted May 31, 2005 JMace, there are several inconsistencies in the information relayed between agencies, the media, and the family members. In everyone's effort to get the word out, some details seem to get mangled. I too noticed this discrepancy and am trying to get clarification. I was told that David was unfamiliar with the region prior to this trip but in this case think it best to yield to the article which purports to quote his wife, Suzanne, directly on the matter. Recently reviewed video surveillance shows David was not well equipped, sandals for shoes, for a hike down the hill so close to dark and perhaps had no intention of hiking down so late in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 No offense, but "well-equipped" for Grouse? On a bloody hot day? Sandals might very well be in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmace Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Sounds Good Bean, I have to agree with Alex, the trip down from the top of Grouse would probably take about 20 mins, and sandals would have been fine, its mostly stairs along that trail. I read he arrived about 8pm, that leaves him two hours of light, maybe 1.5 in the forest. He must have been extremely stoked on heading up there, if he left the border at 630 pm, drove straight there and paid the bucks to head up. All the best to you J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_bean Posted June 1, 2005 Author Share Posted June 1, 2005 I have zero personal familiarity with the topography of Grouse mountain. What you describe is very different from the news reports that mention cliffs and ravines and many acres of difficult terrain for searching. I wanted to thank those that have offered suggestions and through the board and through PM. Thanks as well to knelson for the tip that put me into contact with King5news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraysovereign Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Grouse Mountain isn't really either/or terrain: some of it is perfectly suitable for sandals, some of it is very difficult terrain with cliffs and ravines. If you just ride up the gondola and roam about on the ski hill, it's as tame as can be. The Grouse Grind is basically a giant staircase, a bit rough in spots but you can do it wearing decent sandals without difficulty. The problems happen when people venture beyond the "groomed" area of the ski hill and surrounding trails - that's where they can get into a lot of trouble very quickly. There are some very steep slopes covered with very dense forest, and the terrain is irregular enough that it's not hard to get completely lost in a few minutes of bushwhacking. Even if you know exactly where you are and exactly where you want to go, you may find it nearly impossible to get there due to the dense bush and cliffs and ravines. So if it seems sometimes that people are talking about two completely different Grouse Mountains, it's probably because there are, in fact, two completely different Grouse Mountains - the one the general public is familiar with, and the one North Shore SAR is familiar with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraysovereign Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Looks like they found him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawgoddess Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 tough. my condolence ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billygoat Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 ah man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_bean Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 I am now quite familiar with Grouse Mountain's terrain, having spent the better part of 48 hours scrambling around its depths during the last two days of the organized search effort. I am in awe of the incredible outpouring of help from the Canadian citizens and government. I would like to think such an effort would be put forward for every person lost but know that I was witness to a unique event. The amount of dedication and concern so many people demonstrated will humble me for the rest of my life. North Shore Rescue and all of the other various teams travelling from far locales were incredible in their dedication to just doing what was right in a time of need. These were all incredible people that one could never thank enough. Some had been out for 10 days straight in the most rugged bush I have ever had the pleasure of encountering on a 60 degree slope, day after day after day. Away from their families, and paying jobs, these people were out there to help find someone they had never even met. Some NSR travelled directly from Mount Logan and their own personal rescue operation to aid the technical search teams in Vancouver. These folks are the salt of the earth and it was an honor to have been in their presence. I can go on and on about the incredible things these people did; from the mother whose own son was lost for six days donating food for an army, to all the random people throughout the region who stumbled through incredible terrain looking for David Koch, and to the one who just on a hunch went back after the operation was closed to a spot that had been searched three or more times prior-finding David at last. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelle Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Wow!!! I am so glad that he was found. This was a great post of thanks. I hope his recovery is speedy and complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 No, sadly he did not survive. But his body was recovered finally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelle Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 That is very sad. I haven't seen any news reports and didn't glean that from Mr. Bean's post. I hope the family is gaining closure and is able to move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 See the link in murraysovereign's second post ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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