OR OR - Michael Bryson, 27, wandered away from friends @ campground party, Cottage Grove, 5 Aug 2020

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Search continues for Oregon man missing from campground since early August

•was last seen by his parents on Monday, August 3, 2020
•told his parents that he was riding up with a friend to a week-long birthday party/camping trip at Hobo Camp Campground near Dorena, Oregon
•know he was up there (Hobo Camp) Monday and Tuesday and that the DJ at this party, that was actually a rave, invited him up on stage to do a set
• 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday when Michael reportedly wandered away from a group of friends at the campground
•parents were notified of Disappearance around 5pm
•parents said they’ve never got a straight answer from the partygoers
•The stories given by some of the people at the party are inconsistent, according to his dad
•very few stayed behind to help search
•family and friends stayed 19 days around camp searching
 
Search continues for Oregon man missing from campground since early August


Michael’s parents both describe their son the same way.

“He has a big heart - and it’s always for other people,” Parrish said. He told Dateline that Michael had previously traveled twice to Africa on mission trips and came back with an urge to move there and continue to help others. To remember his time there, he got a tattoo of shaking hands with the words, “Stay strong, my brother.”

Parrish said his son had just been getting his life back together after hitting a rough spot with drugs. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Michael had been working at a local bar and grill. He told his parents he was interested in studying to become an electrician.

But for years, his passion was music. He was often invited to DJ sets at parties and raves across the state -- including where he was last seen at the Hobo Camp Campground.

“That’s the hard part… we were really seeing a passionate change. And now… this,” Parrish said. “And he would never just leave. Even in his toughest times, he would always contact us. The idea that he would just disappear is unheard of.”
 
Wow, thank you for keeping the story active, mlhenn. I've been avoiding the news and haven't heard about Michael missing. I live in Eugene and will follow Michael's Facebook now.
The 'roadside' Hobo Campground is just 26 miles from Cottage Grove but it's quite remote and I believe it's free. I had no idea it was a party place for young people. Beyond the campgrounds, it becomes thick forest very fast with deep cut creeks, thick brush and rough terrain. Unfortunately, people disappear in the forests of Oregon every year. Hunters, hikers, campers and the sad. Searching for the lost is often unsuccessful here.

Now our area is fighting horrible wild fires. I don't think the Hobo campground area is at risk but the smoke is so thick and most forest roads are closed. I doubt anyone can search for Michael right now. His poor family. It must be so hard knowing that Michael is lost in an area so close to them.
 
mlhenn said:
Search continues for Oregon man missing from campground since early August

•was last seen by his parents on Monday, August 3, 2020
•told his parents that he was riding up with a friend to a week-long birthday party/camping trip at Hobo Camp Campground near Dorena, Oregon
•know he was up there (Hobo Camp) Monday and Tuesday and that the DJ at this party, that was actually a rave, invited him up on stage to do a set
• 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday when Michael reportedly wandered away from a group of friends at the campground
•parents were notified of Disappearance around 5pm
•parents said they’ve never got a straight answer from the partygoers
•The stories given by some of the people at the party are inconsistent, according to his dad
•very few stayed behind to help search
•family and friends stayed 19 days around camp searching
Click to expand...

It concerns me that if he walked away from a gathering at 4:30am animals would be hunting at that time. Desperate for a catch if they had not been successful, they may have taken risks/liberties with humans. It's a very sad scenario. Wandering around in the middle of a huge forest at night is ill advised.
 
Yes. I do a lot of hiking around here and I've seen how easy it can be to stumble and disappear in the forest. Michael's family has done a great job on their FB page. Dateline even took notice. I'm proud of my community.

Again, thanks for posting all the information here, mlhenn.

mlhenn said:
@TessDeco

I’ve never been to OR but based on the drone footage shared on MB’s find fb page, I could tell real quick that searches within the forest were going to be tough. The trees are huge and the growth quite thick as you stated.
Click to expand...
 
I believe that if Michael had wandered off into the woods for a bit or passed out, etc. he definitely would have been found by now. The following is just my opinion, but I speak from experience. If drugs were involved and he associated at this gathering with people who did not want to be implicated in his disappearance, then he very well could have been moved to an area far away from where he was last known. If a rave party with nearly 100 people, drugs, alcohol, isolated, strangers. A recipe for a sad ending.

Back in 1969 I attended a small college in the mountains. Lots of people smoked pot, and there were some who did the harder drugs. One young man who did not attend college there (we associated with him, were friends, partied, some probably bought drugs from him) went missing. Nobody knew what happened to him. I just want to make this clear. No matter how nice a person is, if they get mixed up with the wrong people, it can end up in a tragedy. Our friend was so sweet and just normal for 1969. It turned out he was dealing drugs.

Our friend went missing in late fall and was found dumped in a ditch 6 months later in spring when the snow melted, . I think the snow plow workers found him. Turned out that the STORY from his associates was he overdosed and they panicked, drove many miles away and dumped him. I'm just saying that if there were druggies and people who fed Michael drugs (and probably didn't even know him) they will want to cover up their involvement. Did he overdose? Maybe? Did they want to be involved? NO. This is my opinion only and experience.

My heart breaks for Michael's family.
 
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