Found Deceased CA - Philip Kreycik, 37, Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, 10 Jul 2021

[Andreee]

The SF Chronicle discusses trying alternative routes to find Philip
BAY AREA
Search for missing Berkeley runner resumes as officials test new theory about his path
Search for missing Berkeley runner resumes as officials test new theory about his path

Would be interested to read this article, but it is behind a paywall (at least here in Canada)

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Would be interested to read this article, but it is behind a paywall (at least here in Canada)

Try putting your browser in incognito mode

They are wondering if some time through the upper loop whether Kreycik decided to abandon that and try to make his way down ... "Local runners told authorities that it isn’t uncommon for them to decide to take a shortcut back to their starting point and bushwhack through an area to get back to their cars. It’s possible Kreycik did the same, veering off the train (I think they meant to say 'trail') onto narrow and steep paths."

 

[Deleted member 222031]

I was finally able to answer my own question about what the temps were at the time of Philip's run.

Using the Pleasanton zip code of 94588 on Pleasanton, CA Past Weather For Last 30 days - LocalConditions.com, on 7/10 it was 89.6 at 11 AM. Not too far beyond what runspired reported as Philip's comfort zone. By the 11:45 AM projected end time of the run, it was 95F. The high temp of 105.8 did not occur until 2.45 PM. The 105.8 comports with MSM reports of 106F temps "that day," so the temps on this site seem accurate enough to satisfy me.

His decision to go out for what was for him a short run while temps were still in the 80s (ok, barely) does not seem unreasonable for me. It was not a decision to go running when it was 106F.

Hoping Philip is found.

Thank you. Great sleuthing!

 

[10ofRods]

I was finally able to answer my own question about what the temps were at the time of Philip's run.

Using the Pleasanton zip code of 94588 on Pleasanton, CA Past Weather For Last 30 days - LocalConditions.com, on 7/10 it was 89.6 at 11 AM. Not too far beyond what runspired reported as Philip's comfort zone. By the 11:45 AM projected end time of the run, it was 95F. The high temp of 105.8 did not occur until 2.45 PM. The 105.8 comports with MSM reports of 106F temps "that day," so the temps on this site seem accurate enough to satisfy me.

His decision to go out for what was for him a short run while temps were still in the 80s (ok, barely) does not seem unreasonable for me. It was not a decision to go running when it was 106F.

Hoping Philip is found.

Keep in mind that official weather records are supposed to be taken in the shade.

I live in a climate similar to Pleasanton's, and while the official temp from the weather station down the street is 72F, it's 94F in the sun on our back patio. The weather station is at the local school, two blocks away. And, indoors, on the shady side of our house (we planted shade trees as we have no A/C) it's 72F.

So, in looking at the trails that run along the top of the ridge, there's very little shade. So while it was 95 in the shade at 11:45 according to LocalConditions (which uses multiple points of shade measurements), it was hotter in the sun.

(BTW, those record-breaking temps at DV, which just claimed the life of a hiker, are taken in the shade, 8 feet above the ground - as the ground also radiates heat).

Ask Tom: Are official temperatures taken in shade or sunlight?

And...as the human head needs to be cooled off more than the rest of the human body, and because it has the sun shining directly onto it, the brain can heat up (like any other hard object subjected to the sun). I'm not saying that's what happened here, but something happened here, and misadventure/medical issue is what comes to my mind first. A lot of people think that water alone is enough (helps if it's on your head, really - I don't know this man's hairstyle, but longer hair and curlier hair retains sweat/moisture longer and therefore provides some counter-action to the sun).

BTW, that's why humans retained hair on their head, according to biological anthropology. As evaporative cooling in our ancient homelands. When I tell my bald-by-choice students that they are more likely to have heat exhaustion/stroke than, say, myself or my colleague with the very curly hair...they don't like to hear it. But it's true and people who work in the fields in California know to wear a light colored hat and those who wear dampened straw or cotton fare much better.

Was Phil wearing a hat designed to reduce heat on the head?

I just reviewed a few articles on heat stroke, and it turns out that from age 35 onward, one is more at risk, and at 75, one is way more at risk (of course). Risk of heat stroke in the same conditions, if 34 and under was significantly lower than in the over 35 group, with each year adding some risk.

From one article:

//In healthy individuals, even relatively small decrements in hydration status (1% of body weight deficit) can impair the cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses.//

That means a youngish, conditioned person can still be more at risk due to the increased sweating that direct sun produces. That's less than a liter of water.

 

[Beekarina]

I'm wondering if it is just the policy of UPS for privacy reasons not to release surveillance footage due to their type of business. Just guessing as I am not in the USA.

It may be. I keep thinking of the surveillance cameras that showed Jassy Correia leaving a Boston nightclub a few years ago, and then sadly in a terrible state with the man who killed her. I'm not saying the cases are similar, just thinking how PK was in another metro area, so surely a similar amount of video surveillance would have picked up images of him on Friday evening and Saturday morning?

I'm assuming LE is holding it privately, or has reasons to believe it is not relevant.

 

[Beekarina]

Keep in mind that official weather records are supposed to be taken in the shade.

I live in a climate similar to Pleasanton's, and while the official temp from the weather station down the street is 72F, it's 94F in the sun on our back patio. The weather station is at the local school, two blocks away. And, indoors, on the shady side of our house (we planted shade trees as we have no A/C) it's 72F.

So, in looking at the trails that run along the top of the ridge, there's very little shade. So while it was 95 in the shade at 11:45 according to LocalConditions (which uses multiple points of shade measurements), it was hotter in the sun.

(BTW, those record-breaking temps at DV, which just claimed the life of a hiker, are taken in the shade, 8 feet above the ground - as the ground also radiates heat).

Ask Tom: Are official temperatures taken in shade or sunlight?

And...as the human head needs to be cooled off more than the rest of the human body, and because it has the sun shining directly onto it, the brain can heat up (like any other hard object subjected to the sun). I'm not saying that's what happened here, but something happened here, and misadventure/medical issue is what comes to my mind first. A lot of people think that water alone is enough (helps if it's on your head, really - I don't know this man's hairstyle, but longer hair and curlier hair retains sweat/moisture longer and therefore provides some counter-action to the sun).

BTW, that's why humans retained hair on their head, according to biological anthropology. As evaporative cooling in our ancient homelands. When I tell my bald-by-choice students that they are more likely to have heat exhaustion/stroke than, say, myself or my colleague with the very curly hair...they don't like to hear it. But it's true and people who work in the fields in California know to wear a light colored hat and those who wear dampened straw or cotton fare much better.

Was Phil wearing a hat designed to reduce heat on the head?

I just reviewed a few articles on heat stroke, and it turns out that from age 35 onward, one is more at risk, and at 75, one is way more at risk (of course). Risk of heat stroke in the same conditions, if 34 and under was significantly lower than in the over 35 group, with each year adding some risk.

From one article:

//In healthy individuals, even relatively small decrements in hydration status (1% of body weight deficit) can impair the cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses.//

That means a youngish, conditioned person can still be more at risk due to the increased sweating that direct sun produces. That's less than a liter of water.

Another factor to consider with regard to heat illness and susceptibility, would be if PK has a previous history. He very well may have, as he spent so much time engaged in outdoor pursuits.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Keep in mind that official weather records are supposed to be taken in the shade.

I live in a climate similar to Pleasanton's, and while the official temp from the weather station down the street is 72F, it's 94F in the sun on our back patio. The weather station is at the local school, two blocks away. And, indoors, on the shady side of our house (we planted shade trees as we have no A/C) it's 72F.

So, in looking at the trails that run along the top of the ridge, there's very little shade. So while it was 95 in the shade at 11:45 according to LocalConditions (which uses multiple points of shade measurements), it was hotter in the sun.

(BTW, those record-breaking temps at DV, which just claimed the life of a hiker, are taken in the shade, 8 feet above the ground - as the ground also radiates heat).

Ask Tom: Are official temperatures taken in shade or sunlight?

And...as the human head needs to be cooled off more than the rest of the human body, and because it has the sun shining directly onto it, the brain can heat up (like any other hard object subjected to the sun). I'm not saying that's what happened here, but something happened here, and misadventure/medical issue is what comes to my mind first. A lot of people think that water alone is enough (helps if it's on your head, really - I don't know this man's hairstyle, but longer hair and curlier hair retains sweat/moisture longer and therefore provides some counter-action to the sun).

BTW, that's why humans retained hair on their head, according to biological anthropology. As evaporative cooling in our ancient homelands. When I tell my bald-by-choice students that they are more likely to have heat exhaustion/stroke than, say, myself or my colleague with the very curly hair...they don't like to hear it. But it's true and people who work in the fields in California know to wear a light colored hat and those who wear dampened straw or cotton fare much better.

Was Phil wearing a hat designed to reduce heat on the head?

I just reviewed a few articles on heat stroke, and it turns out that from age 35 onward, one is more at risk, and at 75, one is way more at risk (of course). Risk of heat stroke in the same conditions, if 34 and under was significantly lower than in the over 35 group, with each year adding some risk.

From one article:

//In healthy individuals, even relatively small decrements in hydration status (1% of body weight deficit) can impair the cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses.//

That means a youngish, conditioned person can still be more at risk due to the increased sweating that direct sun produces. That's less than a liter of water.

If you drive the freeways on 680 and 580, most of the visible part of the hillside of Pleasanton Ridge which mainly faces east is tree covered. About 90 percent is tree covered if you don't count the subdivisions going up the hillside. This photo from an airplane taken by Bob Walker shows what it looks like S93.16.10942 | OMCA COLLECTIONS

If Philip did not look at the satellite view of the area, he may have assumed the top of Pleasanton Ridge, like the side, is also tree covered. That is not the case. The top is almost exclusively grassland, with no trees except in the ravines and drainages.

The top loop he planned to run has almost no trees and if you are on those paths, you are in full sun. If it is true that he chose to not wear a shirt, I wonder whether he even knew that the top of the ridge has no trees and no shade prior to trying to run the route.

 

[ficus]

Keep in mind that official weather records are supposed to be taken in the shade.

I understand, as I wrote in my first post on the subject, I am not questioning at all that Philip may have been adversely affected by heat. I was more interested in looking at one basis of his decision to run at that time on that day.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

If you drive the freeways on 680 and 580, most of the visible part of the hillside of Pleasanton Ridge which mainly faces east is tree covered. About 90 percent is tree covered if you don't count the subdivisions going up the hillside. This photo from an airplane taken by Bob Walker shows what it looks like S93.16.10942 | OMCA COLLECTIONS

If Philip did not look at the satellite view of the area, he may have assumed the top of Pleasanton Ridge, like the side, is also tree covered. That is not the case. The top is almost exclusively grassland, with no trees except in the ravines and drainages.

The top loop he planned to run has almost no trees and if you are on those paths, you are in full sun. If it is true that he chose to not wear a shirt, I wonder whether he even knew that the top of the ridge has no trees and no shade prior to trying to run the route.

Possibly not. The default mode in Strava for drawing routes would show trails and elevations. There is a satellite view option but it gets quite messy if you're just checking a trail route.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

A renewed search for a missing Berkeley father of two yielded no new information Saturday, three weeks after the ultra-marathon athlete disappeared while on a run in the East Bay hills.

Search and rescue teams rappelled into steep ravines and cut through tough terrain Saturday hoping a renewed search would provide closure for Philip Kreycik’s family and friends.

“No luck today,” said Pleasanton police Lt. Chris Niederhaus, as searchers filed back to the search command center at a local high school mid-afternoon. “No new leads today, no new evidence today.”

Using GPS data from the grid searched conducted by search and rescue teams, officials would the information to determine whether there are others areas to search, Niederhaus said. As of Saturday afternoon, no additional searches were scheduled by authorities.

Kreycik, 37, has not been seen since the morning of July 10, the day he left his home for what would have been six- to eight-mile workout on a 100-plus degree day in the East Bay Regional Park. He didn’t return home.

His wife, Jen Yao, reported Kreycik missing that day and the search began within hours. His car was found in a cul-de-sac at the trailhead, with his wallet and phone inside.

Law enforcement search teams and family and friends scoured the trail area and surrounding terrain, but failed to find any clue and the official search was scaled back. The search shifted to interviewing people who know him, including colleagues at Clean Energy Solutions Center, a government-sponsored agency.

On Saturday, 125 certified search and rescuers from across Northern California gathered again at Foothill High School to resume the search after an analysis of previously searched areas and interviews with experienced runners to assess what Kreycik might have done on the extremely hot day he went for the run.

Kreycik’s father, Keith Kreycik, sat with community volunteers coordinating search efforts Saturday morning in the parking lot of the school, near the official command center. He declined to speak, saying only that there was still hope.

Whiteboards listed volunteer drone operators and flyer distribution plans at a local farmers’ market.

Would be interested to read this article, but it is behind a paywall (at least here in Canada)

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Whiteboards listed volunteer drone operators and flyer distribution plans at a local farmers’ market.

The search area in the Pleasanton Ridge area of the East Bay Regional Park encompassed a region between a footprint found on a trail two weeks ago and the parking area where Kreycik left his car, said Pleasanton police Lt. Chris Niederhaus.

“This is another theory that maybe he went in a different direction,” Niederhaus said.

The area had already been searched, but using GPS locators from previous efforts, officials determined that there were still parts of the Tejan Creek area where he would be.

Local runners told authorities that it isn’t uncommon for them to decide to take a shortcut back to their starting point and bushwhack through an area to get back to their cars. It’s possible Kreycik did the same, veering off the train onto narrow and steep paths.

“It’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Niederhaus said.

Alameda County search and rescue volunteer Angela Hale was out on the hill for a few hours Saturday morning with her dog Riggs, searching steep drainages covered in slippery leaves, she said.

Riggs, trained to pick out the scent of human remains, didn’t find anything in their assigned area.

“We want to find him,” Hale said. “We’re here for the family and his friends.”

“It’s frustrating,” Niederhaus said. They have used drones, infrared imaging, boots on the ground and dozens of search dogs and found nothing, he said. There is no evidence of foul play or a mishap on the trail, he added, noting no mountain lions tracked by officials were in the area at the time either.

“You want to give answers to the family so bad,” he said. “We’ll continue to do what we can.”

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Hi @runspired I’m sure these are not all the questions various members have asked you concerning Philip’s disappearance, but as you suggested it may be easier for you to address some of them if they’re in a compiled form.
(Note: these questions are from other members’ posts & may have already been answered) Hope this helps a lil!
Thanks for all your input and the hard work you’ve put in towards finding Philip.

Compiled Questions from Members
Are cameras at the exit/entrance points to the Emergency Vehicle Access points to Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park and were they checked?

Was the property around 9104 Longview searched where the Augustin Bernal Park entrance is at the top of the cul de sac (Augustin Bernal is the city park that accesses the EBRPD Pleasanton Ridge Park)?

Any subsequent thoughts to whether you think Philip was seen near the Arroyo Mocho trail near Santa Rita Rd across from the Walmart Neighborhood Market store that evening on Saturday July 10th?

Was there any validity to the report I read that a woman saw a man running under a bridge in/near the park, seemingly in distress? (maybe this ties in with the Walmart sighting)

Where did the dogs lose Philip's scent? I've read it was near a water tank off of Moller Ranch Dr. Is that accurate?

Have the water tanks been searched?

If the sighting near a Walmart where the individual appeared ready to cross a multi-lane highway was PK, what else is in that immediate area?

Are there trains heading out? Could he have crawled inside a freight car?

Was the shirt that was found in PK's car the same one he wore on Friday night? And why is it assumed that PK was "probably" shirtless when he ran?

Do you know what the temperature was in the park at the time of Philip's run? I tried to find this info on some weather sites but wasn't able to. I'm asking because I live about 30 miles from Pleasanton Ridge Park, so I experience basically the same climate. When I see references to running in 107 degree heat or some such, I know that can't be true. 107 degrees was reportedly the highest temperature for that location on 7/10.

Do you think offering a reward for information will help find him?

One thing I'm really puzzled by probably cannot be answered, but I will put it back out there: with all of the general surveillance out there, the only place PK was captured was when sending the package?

But the thing is, why NOT release them (surveillance of Philip dropping off package)?
It just seems strange not to, and in most missing persons cases the last known footage is released to the public.

I would add: Who was the last person(s) to see Pk on Friday or Sat besides UPS workers?

 

[TheFool]

I understand, as I wrote in my first post on the subject, I am not questioning at all that Philip may have been adversely affected by heat. I was more interested in looking at one basis of his decision to run at that time on that day.

PK ran at that time and location because it was conveniently on the route from Berkeley to Stockton where he was to meet his family. He planned the run start time and duration to arrive in Stockton at a pre-arranged time. This also explains why his wife notified LE so quickly. She was expecting him to arrive and knew if he was even an hour late something was wrong.

 

[RumorMonger]

New article, clarifies that police responded to JY's call w/o significant delay.
Pleasanton community steps up to support missing runner's family | News | PleasantonWeekly.com |

Was there ever a question that they responded immediately? It seems like the talk has been around the fact that the alarm was raised unusually quickly, not that it was slow. Did I miss something?

 

[MichelleAntonia]

Whiteboards listed volunteer drone operators and flyer distribution plans at a local farmers’ market.

The search area in the Pleasanton Ridge area of the East Bay Regional Park encompassed a region between a footprint found on a trail two weeks ago and the parking area where Kreycik left his car, said Pleasanton police Lt. Chris Niederhaus.

“This is another theory that maybe he went in a different direction,” Niederhaus said.

The area had already been searched, but using GPS locators from previous efforts, officials determined that there were still parts of the Tejan Creek area where he would be.

Local runners told authorities that it isn’t uncommon for them to decide to take a shortcut back to their starting point and bushwhack through an area to get back to their cars. It’s possible Kreycik did the same, veering off the train onto narrow and steep paths.

“It’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Niederhaus said.

Alameda County search and rescue volunteer Angela Hale was out on the hill for a few hours Saturday morning with her dog Riggs, searching steep drainages covered in slippery leaves, she said.

Riggs, trained to pick out the scent of human remains, didn’t find anything in their assigned area.

“We want to find him,” Hale said. “We’re here for the family and his friends.”

“It’s frustrating,” Niederhaus said. They have used drones, infrared imaging, boots on the ground and dozens of search dogs and found nothing, he said. There is no evidence of foul play or a mishap on the trail, he added, noting no mountain lions tracked by officials were in the area at the time either.

“You want to give answers to the family so bad,” he said. “We’ll continue to do what we can.”

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker

I can't imagine how frustrating this must be getting for the family, especially on top of the obvious heartbreak.

I'm trying to think back to any similar missing persons' cases here in the Bay Area, and any I can think of had SOME kind of resolution within a few weeks. I think it's fair to say that this is just so odd, that there are virtually zero answers, let alone clues, after so much effort

 

[MichelleAntonia]

Was there ever a question that they responded immediately? It seems like the talk has been around the fact that the alarm was raised unusually quickly, not that it was slow. Did I miss something?

I read that article and it didn't shed light on why the response was so quick, just that it was. I don't think there's anything to it, but it is worth noting that usually police give it a while longer before they start searching, especially if the person is not known to have any mental health issues. Perhaps it was because he was in a park rather than outside? The likelihood of being lost or in distress might be higher, considering that few people go into a park just to leave by their own volition .

 

[ficus]

PK ran at that time and location because it was conveniently on the route from Berkeley to Stockton where he was to meet his family. He planned the run start time and duration to arrive in Stockton at a pre-arranged time. This also explains why his wife notified LE so quickly. She was expecting him to arrive and knew if he was even an hour late something was wrong.

I was aware of that basis for his decision. The aspect I was wondering about was at that given time and place, should/would/could he have decided it was too hot to run. From all we know so far, he did decide to run. Like the personnel at the County Sheriff's Office, I have come to admire Philip, and was looking for information to justify the soundness of his decision.

 

[Beekarina]

I assumed--perhaps incorrectly?--the quick response was likely motivated to the extreme heat on the day PK went missing. Knowing he planned to run midday during a time when people were probably told to avoid the heat, I can understand why they responded differently than a person who was late to spend time with their family.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

I can't imagine how frustrating this must be getting for the family, especially on top of the obvious heartbreak.

I'm trying to think back to any similar missing persons' cases here in the Bay Area, and any I can think of had SOME kind of resolution within a few weeks. I think it's fair to say that this is just so odd, that there are virtually zero answers, let alone clues, after so much effort

I'm also from the Bay Area -- I'm less than 2 miles from where PK went missing -- and I can't remember anything like this happening in this area. I'm incredibly impressed with the response from his friends, family, volunteer searchers and LE. Still praying for his safe return.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Was there ever a question that they responded immediately? It seems like the talk has been around the fact that the alarm was raised unusually quickly, not that it was slow. Did I miss something?

I had read that they had not responded for a few hours, this clarifies that LE did go to the park fairly soon after her call.