Found Safe NC - Joshua Clauson, 20, Croatan National Forest, 29 May 2021

[mlhenn]

I’m used to people carrying their cell phones especially when out hiking, in the woods, even fishing in these rural areas.

Depends on your work too, some are used to being “on call” so the cell phone goes everywhere but my eyes certainly aren’t glued to the screen, it just needs to be on my person.

Two people without a phone would not be a common occurrence unless you don’t want to be tracked, want off the grid or avoiding a phone call from someone. JMO

Would there be cell service in a forest?

Good question about cell service.
With that note, I have to admit even if I knew the cell service was poor or nonexistent, I’d still take it with me. That’s just me personally...kinda like, “just in case” or “well, there may be service at some point”, or even out of habit or just because I’d feel better having it.
Again, that’s me personally. I understand some people don’t think twice about whether they have their phone or not.

 

[Shamrock1]

Good question about cell service.
With that note, I have to admit even if I knew the cell service was poor or nonexistent, I still take it with me. That’s just me personally...kinda like, “just in case” or “well, there may be service at some point”, or even out of habit or just because I’d feel better having it.
Again, that’s me personally. I understand some people don’t think twice whether they have their phone or not.

It’s not just phone, IMO. It’s a flashlight and camera, too.

 

[branmuffin]

As more time passes, the more I don't like the sounds of this story. Something is off. How can a 20-year old man get lost for two days in the woods right near his home? Yes the woods are thick, but it's not an area that has cliffs to fall off of or places to get stuck.

There are bogs in the woods. He must be getting eaten alive with only a tank top on.

There's something a little off on this whole episode. People who usually live in those areas know the number one rule is you don't split up if you are lost. Not only is it a foolish thing to do when there are wild animals about but now search teams have to look in separate areas.

Was Joshua flashing gang hand signals in the pictures on his FB page?

 

[branmuffin]

Deputies searching for missing person last seen in Croatan National Forest | WNCT

Carteret County deputies are currently searching for Joshua Clauson, 20, of 1202 Lake Road, Lake Road MHP, Npt after he failed to return from a walk in the Croatan National Forest.

Family members reported Joshua entered the woods with a relative around 10 am on Saturday, at the rear of the mobile home park off Lake Rd.

The relative reported they got lost and became separated. The relative was eventually able to find his way out on Rams Horn Road off Nine Foot Road after listening to the sounds of passing vehicles.

Deputies were unable to locate Clauson during the overnight hours and called in search and rescue teams.

On Sunday, teams from Coastal Carolina Search and Rescue based out of Pitt County, Brunswick Search & Rescue, and Chocowinity Search & Rescue met with Carteret County deputies for a briefing at 8 at the Newport Fire Department Lake Road Substation.

When family members state Joshua went into the woods with a relative, is it because they personally saw him do that or are they basing their comments on what the relative told them.

 

[branmuffin]

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article251798383.html

Crews resumed their search Monday for 20-year-old Joshua Clauson, who the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office says is missing in the Croatan National Forest. CARTERET COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Croatan National Forest is in Eastern North Carolina, near New Bern. Its 160,000 acres of land include pine forests, salt water estuaries, bogs and “raised swamps,” the U.S. Forest Service says.

There's gators in those salt marsh estuaries, too.

 

[branmuffin]

<modsnip- quoted post removed>
But wouldn't the person who came out be able to give a general location of where they were? And he'd most likely be found by now? MOO

I wondered that too...what are the chances?

I'd be wanting to look at the BIL's phone.

 

[Blue-eyed Devil]

This is such a bizarre story that it’s hard to believe at face value.

That area is extremely remote, and has tons of water and swamp land.

I haven’t seen any MSM coverage that points towards service in the army or marines but there is a big marine base in the area and there have been a lot of strange stories that past 4-5 years in eastern NC related to drugs and murders (Cherry Point & Fort Bragg) tied to military bases.

Yes! I can confirm that we do indeed have "strange stories". I live about 10-ish minutes away from Fort Bragg, I'm in Cameron N.C and Fort Bragg is known for not only the Jeffery MacDonald case but also the Master Sgt Timothy Hennis case(s), serial killings/rapes. "Queen" who was initially handed down a death sentence for her leadership role in an area gang. To join, you had to kill someone. I try to avoid Cumberland county when at all possible, too dangerous.

 

[cuffem]

The biggest hurdle for me is the fact that neither one had a cell phone with them. What are the odds, especially Joshua at 20 years old?

Maybe I'm just jaded from watching the parade of people glued to their screens down here lol.

The only reason to leave your cell phone at home while walking in the woods is so you can not be tracked. IMO.

 

[mlhenn]

Marines helping in search for Joshua Clauson in Croatan National Forest

Thursday evening, the search for Joshua Clauson in the Croatan National Forest was called off due to weather.

Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck said that the plans may be changing more soon as it may switch from a search and rescue mission to a recovery.

 

[annpats]

It’s not just phone, IMO. It’s a flashlight and camera, too.

Exactly, and don't forget cell phones also have GPS ....and you don't need cell service for that.

 

[Laughing]

Yes! I can confirm that we do indeed have "strange stories". I live about 10-ish minutes away from Fort Bragg, I'm in Cameron N.C and Fort Bragg is known for not only the Jeffery MacDonald case but also the Master Sgt Timothy Hennis case(s), serial killings/rapes. "Queen" who was initially handed down a death sentence for her leadership role in an area gang. To join, you had to kill someone. I try to avoid Cumberland county when at all possible, too dangerous.

Oh, a friend of mine refers to that area as FayetteNam.

Agree with Hinky.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[MntnHiker]

I hike a lot and never am without my phone. It is odd to me that out of two people, either had a phone on them. Even if I know the place I'll be has no/limited cell coverage, there is always that chance you get a bar (of service) when you need it. As others pointed out, it's also a flashlight, etc. Also odd neither had even a bottle of water. Maybe I just get extra thirsty when I hike but on an 80+ degree day, I would definitely want to have some water with me, even for a walk of only a few miles (though we don't know how long this "walk" is that they planned to go on).

The longer this goes on, the more concerned I get. Unless he purposely ran away somehow or got picked up by someone on a road and doesn't want anyone to know where he is, I, too, think this may be a recovery mission MOO

 

[annpats]

Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck said that the plans may be changing more soon as it may switch from a search and rescue mission to a recovery.

But you have to find the body first in order to recover it!

The SAR teams have been in there 5 days now, and haven't found any sign or any trace of him or any belongings. Nothing.

How long do they keep looking for his body?

I personally think they'll call the search off after another week.

 

[mlhenn]

But you have to find the body first in order to recover it!

The SAR teams have been in there 5 days now, and haven't found any sign or any trace of him or any belongings. Nothing.

How long do they keep looking for his body?

I personally think they'll call the search off after another week.

BBM for focus

I think it just depends on the SAR Team (along w/ other factors).
I’ve known them to call searches off quite quickly and then there’s been some SAR teams that continue searching for as long as the family asks them to and they have the funding to do so (and of course there’s no other search/rescue needing their immediate attention)...an example of this would be 21-year-old Zeb Hughes & 16-year-old Gunner Palmer who went missing in the MS River in December; SAR were still regularly searching for them at the end of March.

 

[Gobstopper]

But you have to find the body first in order to recover it!

The SAR teams have been in there 5 days now, and haven't found any sign or any trace of him or any belongings. Nothing.

How long do they keep looking for his body?

I personally think they'll call the search off after another week.

Maybe he never went into the forest. MOO

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Just moved from that area.
It’s possible he followed the prong of the Newport River. In my experience in that particular forest the brush and trees almost always grow all the way up to the creek/stream/river’s edge, so perhaps just as taxing to try to follow water as opposed to not.

rsbm

@lag28wa, thanks for the insights, In your estimate how easy would it be to have crossed the prong of the Newport River, considering the relatively dry conditions around Memorial Day weekend? It looks like there are limited areas to get lost on the Southwest side, but once across the river there is a whole lot of Croatan wilderness.

For those not from NC, the Croatan National Forest is named after the Native Americans who once lived in the general area near here and in the Outer Banks, to the northeast of Newport. The infamous "Lost Colony" were a group of English settlers who mysteriously disappeared north of here in the late 1500s, leaving behind only the word "Croatan" carved on a tree. I don't think they ever had a Websleuths thread, but it's still a hotly debated mystery.

 

[Blue-eyed Devil]

rsbm

@lag28wa, thanks for the insights, In your estimate how easy would it be to have crossed the prong of the Newport River, considering the relatively dry conditions around Memorial Day weekend? It looks like there are limited areas to get lost on the Southwest side, but once across the river there is a whole lot of Croatan wilderness.

For those not from NC, the Croatan National Forest is named after the Native Americans who once lived in the general area near here and in the Outer Banks, to the northeast of Newport. The infamous "Lost Colony" were a group of English settlers who mysteriously disappeared north of here in the late 1500s, leaving behind only the word "Croatan" carved on a tree. I don't think they ever had a Websleuths thread, but it's still a hotly debated mystery.

Best outdoor drama these eyes have ever witnessed was in Manteo N.C "The Lost Colony". I haven't thought of that in years, tftm.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Yes! I can confirm that we do indeed have "strange stories". I live about 10-ish minutes away from Fort Bragg, I'm in Cameron N.C and Fort Bragg is known for not only the Jeffery MacDonald case but also the Master Sgt Timothy Hennis case(s), serial killings/rapes. "Queen" who was initially handed down a death sentence for her leadership role in an area gang. To join, you had to kill someone. I try to avoid Cumberland county when at all possible, too dangerous.

That's interesting, but Fort Bragg and Cumberland County are over 100 miles west of Newport. Newport is however, very close to the USMC Cherry Point air base.

 

[Advocate4]

The forest conditions are pretty familiar to me, having lived in both Virginia and North Carolina for years. Biggest fears for me would be venomous snakes and ticks. Having said that, IMHO people don't just "go for a walk" in tangled marshy woods like that unless there are trails to follow or unless they are searching for something.

 

[mlhenn]

Search suspended for missing man in Croatan National Forest

June 3
After an extensive search over the past 5 days, the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office suspended the search for 20-year-old Joshua Clauson who went missing from his Lake Road home after going out for a walk in the Croatan National Forest.

Officials suspended the search just after 6 p.m. Thursday evening.

More than 200 trained search and rescue professionals assisted with the search for Clauson in the Croatan National Forest, between Lake Road and Rams Horn Road, and the Carteret-Craven County line.

The search teams utilized special technology to aid in the search and were assisted by several K9 handlers. Aerial searches were conducted by NC Wildlife airplane and the NC Highway Patrol helicopter as well as aerial drones.


....

While the search has been suspended, this missing person case remains active and anyone with information is asked to notify the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 728-8400 or Carteret County Communications at (252) 726-1911.


Marines helping in search for Joshua Clauson in Croatan National Forest

Marines helping in search for Joshua Clauson in Croatan National Forest

This article states the search was called off due to weather.