Deceased/Not Found HI - Samuel Martinez, 23, from Nebraska, missed flight home, Kauai, 12 May 2021

[Mamamerced]

I have been told that as you leave Kokee campground on Kumuela Road, the camp is the first driveway on the right.
That is all I know.

 

[Hoosier952]

I just thought I would bring the map back and add the alltrails.com map that better shows the trails.

HI - Samuel Martinez, 23, Kauai, 12 May 2021 - Google My Maps

https://www.alltrails.com/explore?b....115076901336963&b_br_lng=-159.62378261390023

 

[Hoosier952]

If Kumuela Road was where his pack was found, it had to have been Sloggett/YWCA or the cabins just before it (you can see the .1 mile trail northwest of Sloggett on alltrails that leads to the cabins). Now I'm wondering if maybe he tried to tackle Canyon Trail from Sloggett, which itself is 6.5 miles (and many say closer to 8) and moderate in difficulty, but has several other trails coming off of it and overlapping it.

Based on reviews, it sounded like taking the entire loop wasn't worth the hassle/time and many suggested just walking a bit past the falls and then heading back. Many mentioned the stream crossing towards the end was too dangerous to pass during wet weather and it required them to basically walk the entire loop back vs just another mile or so to finish the entire loop. I could see a tired hiker trying to push through as to avoid walking 6-8 miles back. Others mentioned the trail was hard to stay on due to overgrowth and they had to rely on their downloaded maps to make sure they were staying on the trail. Steep and muddy were mentioned a lot.

 

[5W's]

No need to apologize. I have not been on FB for a while (work and a much needed vacation for a few days with family). I see the post, but unfortunately, it doesn't appear there have been any updated maps showing where they have searched since the week prior to the pack being found. Correct me if you can find a newer update. Those two have done an amazing job searching. So many miles put on those 6 legs.

If it's a church camp, I can only find three possible camps that would be in/near Kokee. The Methodist Church camp, Kokee Hongwanji Camp and the Sloggett camp which is affiliated with the YWCA. There again may be others, but I've definitely spent too many hours trying to find "church camps" which are surprisingly hard to find with google searches.

Sloggett doesn't appear to have any marked trails stemming from it, so I don't find it likely he would have stashed a bag there. I think it's far more likely he set out on the 13th from camping at Kokee and stashed his bag nearby aiming to hike one or both of the two trails I mentioned above. I'd like to know if he had a daypack as well as the pack they found or if he was just carrying some water/snacks in hand.

I could be wrong but I believe he was carrying a daypack. I've read that somewhere, if I remember correctly.

 

[Hoosier952]

I could be wrong but I believe he was carrying a daypack. I've read that somewhere, if I remember correctly.

It sure would be nice if it was a nice bright color that might be a bit easier to spot in the terrain.

Is there ever a time when foliage dies back at all in Hawaii? I assume it's warm enough all the time where it's always green in the valleys.

 

[5W's]

It sure would be nice if it was a nice bright color that might be a bit easier to spot in the terrain.

Is there ever a time when foliage dies back at all in Hawaii? I assume it's warm enough all the time where it's always green in the valleys.

Unfortunately IDK the answer to either question I wish I did.

 

[5W's]

I just noticed that neither Fran, Sam's mother nor Search Dog Kauai has posted anything for at least 6 days. The last time there was this long an interval Samuel's backpack was found. I hope there is some development for his family and loved ones.

 

[5W's]

I noticed on Facebook comments are no longer appearing in the official missing person page for Samuel. I just noticed it yesterday. I hope everything is ok and perhaps just taking a break from commentary.

 

[5W's]

I don't know about other sleuthers but I saw something interesting on a Facebook post by Search Dog Kauii yesterday. In Samuel's backpack (found in October) his sleeping bag was found inside it. To me that seems like either Samuel didn't use his sleeping bag because he went missing soon after arriving or ominously someone put the backpack in that bush for it to be found. Confusing and odd. I know people may say well, Samuel left it to come back to later to set up his camp. But, at the same time my question is why wouldn't he set up his camp first and leave his his gear at his camp. It just seems there's more questions than answers, here.

 

[Hoosier952]

I don't know about other sleuthers but I saw something interesting on a Facebook post by Search Dog Kauii yesterday. In Samuel's backpack (found in October) his sleeping bag was found inside it. To me that seems like either Samuel didn't use his sleeping bag because he went missing soon after arriving or ominously someone put the backpack in that bush for it to be found. Confusing and odd. I know people may say well, Samuel left it to come back to later to set up his camp. But, at the same time my question is why wouldn't he set up his camp first and leave his his gear at his camp. It just seems there's more questions than answers, here.

I think he likely went missing sometime on the 13th or 14th. I believe they know Samuel made it to Kokee for which he had a reservation for his first night. Since his backpack was not found on the direct trail between Kokee and his second reservation at Waiakoali Camp (and the missing reservation for the night of the 13th that I've been worried about), I'm wondering if he was camping in or around Sloggett the night of the 13th. Since it would have been a very short and easy hike from Kokee, he likely would have assumed he would have plenty of time to set up camp when he returned from exploring around the area. There are several out and back trails in that general area where it likely would have made sense to dump the camp gear and just take a small daypack.

I really think Canyon Trail and the trails and terrain around it would be where I would be focusing my searches. I'm afraid he ran into trouble at one of the water crossings.

 

[azure]

I don't know about other sleuthers but I saw something interesting on a Facebook post by Search Dog Kauii yesterday. In Samuel's backpack (found in October) his sleeping bag was found inside it. To me that seems like either Samuel didn't use his sleeping bag because he went missing soon after arriving or ominously someone put the backpack in that bush for it to be found. Confusing and odd. I know people may say well, Samuel left it to come back to later to set up his camp. But, at the same time my question is why wouldn't he set up his camp first and leave his his gear at his camp. It just seems there's more questions than answers, here.

If you set up camp first, then your things are laying out auspiciously for anyone who may come by. A hidden backpack is much more secure, IMO.

I think foul play is extremely unlikely in this case.

 

[5W's]

If you set up camp first, then your things are laying out auspiciously for anyone who may come by. A hidden backpack is much more secure, IMO.

I think foul play is extremely unlikely in this case.

It is odd though, because no one else's backpack has been found just sitting there. Then all his belongings (I am assuming) that he would need for camp are in it. Plus, other people would be at camp so its not like it would be that there are no eyes on his stuff for protection. He makes friends where he goes so I find it odd that his belongings would be just sitting there in a bush. Plus other people would complain of the same problem of stuff going missing at camps say one has to go to use facilities for example shower or bathroom break they wouldn't take everything with them. So it is odd IMO. I don't know why his family has changed the comments part on the official missing person page of Facebook. I noticed some changes there. It is a very sad situation as in all missing person's cases.

 

[K9Enzo]

If you set up camp first, then your things are laying out auspiciously for anyone who may come by. A hidden backpack is much more secure, IMO.

I think foul play is extremely unlikely in this case.

Agreed. I don’t think it’s a best practice, I have done it myself (and I know better) at certain points when mountain climbing to lessen my load. Stash my backpack for a couple hours. The huge risk I took was being detoured away from it on my descent for whatever reason, forgetting where it was, the big one, needing something in my pack in an emergency. When I heard about his backpack being stashed I understood the probable intent. IMO

 

[azure]

It is odd though, because no one else's backpack has been found just sitting there. Then all his belongings (I am assuming) that he would need for camp are in it. Plus, other people would be at camp so its not like it would be that there are no eyes on his stuff for protection. He makes friends where he goes so I find it odd that his belongings would be just sitting there in a bush. Plus other people would complain of the same problem of stuff going missing at camps say one has to go to use facilities for example shower or bathroom break they wouldn't take everything with them. So it is odd IMO. I don't know why his family has changed the comments part on the official missing person page of Facebook. I noticed some changes there. It is a very sad situation as in all missing person's cases.

His backpack was found 5 months and one day after he went missing. I imagine other people's bags aren't found because they come to get them within 24 hours.

The fact that it took over 5 months to find the bag despite extensive air and ground searches speaks to how challenging it could be to find a body, sadly.

 

[LauraAnne]

His backpack was found 5 months and one day after he went missing. I imagine other people's bags aren't found because they come to get them within 24 hours.

The fact that it took over 5 months to find the bag despite extensive air and ground searches speaks to how challenging it could be to find a body, sadly.

What condition was the backpack found in, does anyone know? A backpack that had been placed there recently would be VERY different from one that had been stashed 5 months prior to being found.

I visited Kauai recently, and there's a very large camping population. We were told by one of them that we were wasting our money on a hotel - all you have to do, legally, to camp in a park is have possession of a fishing pole. Then, you can only stay for 2 weeks but if you move your tent site 15 yards, you're good for another 2 weeks. Free. Wild chickens are everywhere, and there's breadfruit and other natural foods. Very easy place to melt into the camping population, if that's what he's done.

 

[5W's]

Agreed. I don’t think it’s a best practice, I have done it myself (and I know better) at certain points when mountain climbing to lessen my load. Stash my backpack for a couple hours. The huge risk I took was being detoured away from it on my descent for whatever reason, forgetting where it was, the big one, needing something in my pack in an emergency. When I heard about his backpack being stashed I understood the probable intent. IMO

I see your point. But I suppose one has to take the risk of forgetting where it was left and also of leaving valuable supplies in case they are needed. That is a big problem in itself as we can imagine. I still can't fathom that he would leave behind supplies that he may need to survive. Also perhaps your circumstances were different from his so IMO we can't really compare the two situations. Plus IMO he would've been back to retrieve it. Obviously something happened in that time but if as you suggest he would come back to retrieve it but didn't. So that still leaves it open. You came back thankfully but he did not. Wouldn't it be better to leave it with someone trusted instead of a bush if he took down his camp to travel, IMO he would. As it was not as desolate as we may think (his camping area). Either that means he was going to be back or someone else put it there to be found, why not throw it away.

 

[5W's]

What condition was the backpack found in, does anyone know? A backpack that had been placed there recently would be VERY different from one that had been stashed 5 months prior to being found.

I visited Kauai recently, and there's a very large camping population. We were told by one of them that we were wasting our money on a hotel - all you have to do, legally, to camp in a park is have possession of a fishing pole. Then, you can only stay for 2 weeks but if you move your tent site 15 yards, you're good for another 2 weeks. Free. Wild chickens are everywhere, and there's breadfruit and other natural foods. Very easy place to melt into the camping population, if that's what he's done.

That's a good point about it being weathered or not. If it was weathered then it shows it was there for a long time. If not then recently and that doesn't make sense. Plus he had a roundtrip ticket to fly back so he wouldn't stay past that time frame IMO.

 

[5W's]

His backpack was found 5 months and one day after he went missing. I imagine other people's bags aren't found because they come to get them within 24 hours.

The fact that it took over 5 months to find the bag despite extensive air and ground searches speaks to how challenging it could be to find a body, sadly.

The area he was to set up camp in was populated as it was reserved by him. So either something happened shortly after he arrived or he didn't camp there too long and was moving on to another populated camp. Then if we follow this logic then he wouldn't leave his his backpack where it was found he would take it with him as he would have to walk all the way back. To me it doesn't make sense what happened here with his backpack. Something else is going on here. I'm intrigued by the comments that Search Dog Kaui made on his Facebook page just before he left for a month. What is he alluding to? I do find it odd that Samuel's sleeping bag was found inside it. So it means he wasn't going to be gone long IMO if we accept that Samuel put his backpack in that bush.

 

[5W's]

Another thing is there's a question as to weather he had a daypack or backpack. I read somewhere he had a daypack. But I think that information may have been incorrect. It would IMO mean he would have two packs. I don't think that is efficient. So I think he had one backpack (although I could be wrong.) I wonder if his water filter was in that found backpack. He would definately take his water filter with him. I am assuming that the water filter was in that found backpack. Which IMO does not make sense. I am assuming that his water filter was in the backpack because he had one pack not two (again I could be wrong.) But if this is the case then Samuel would not leave his backpack where it was found in that bush IMO.

 

[wary]

Another thing is there's a question as to weather he had a daypack or backpack. I read somewhere he had a daypack. But I think that information may have been incorrect. It would IMO mean he would have two packs. I don't think that is efficient. So I think he had one backpack (although I could be wrong.) I wonder if his water filter was in that found backpack. He would definately take his water filter with him. I am assuming that the water filter was in that found backpack. Which IMO does not make sense. I am assuming that his water filter was in the backpack because he had one pack not two (again I could be wrong.) But if this is the case then Samuel would not leave his backpack where it was found in that bush IMO.

I’m not an experienced hiker, but wouldn’t it make sense to have a lightweight ‘daypack’ that you just stuff into your full ‘backpack?’ That way, if you’re making a loop for the day, you can carry food & sunscreen & water filter without having to carry everything with you