Found Deceased AK - Jaxson Brown, 5, hiking w/mom, Ketchikan, 26 Mar 2020

[CarmelEyesD]

Search underway in Ketchikan area for boy missing since Wednesday - KRBD


The mother didn’t have the boy with her when she was found about three miles up the trail, Kiffer said.

She reportedly indicated that the pair had started their hike about three hours before dark on Wednesday.

“She indicated that they had gotten up into deep snow about knee-deep snow, turned around, came back,” Kiffer said.

State troopers say the pair were disoriented and lost the trail. They spent Wednesday night together before the mother sought help Thursday morning, according to a Saturday morning dispatch.

The mother reportedly placed the boy in a dry spot underneath a tree before leaving, Kiffer said.

“Her intention was to go down and get help. He was too big for her to carry,” he said.

 

[Mistree]

Thank you for starting a thread on this. Just coming off of the Vadie case and I hope the results will be the same here.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Search underway in Ketchikan area for boy missing since Wednesday - KRBD


The mother didn’t have the boy with her when she was found about three miles up the trail, Kiffer said.

She reportedly indicated that the pair had started their hike about three hours before dark on Wednesday.

“She indicated that they had gotten up into deep snow about knee-deep snow, turned around, came back,” Kiffer said.

State troopers say the pair were disoriented and lost the trail. They spent Wednesday night together before the mother sought help Thursday morning, according to a Saturday morning dispatch.

The mother reportedly placed the boy in a dry spot underneath a tree before leaving, Kiffer said.

“Her intention was to go down and get help. He was too big for her to carry,” he said.

Oh no. That doesn’t sound good- how could he stay warm without her? He’s 5! Always stick together!

“On her way down the trail, the mother broke her ankle, he said. Troopers say she was found the following day, Friday.”

 

[Mistree]

Ketchikan, AK Weather Forecast and Conditions - The Weather Channel | Weather.com

Not sure how to see what the weather was like on Wednesday. 3 hours before dark? Was this supposed to be a short hike and they meant to return home that evening?

 

[Mistree]

Lunch Creek | Hiking Trail in Ketchikan, AK

I believe this is the area.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Ketchikan, AK Weather Forecast and Conditions - The Weather Channel | Weather.com

Not sure how to see what the weather was like on Wednesday. 3 hours before dark? Was this supposed to be a short hike and they meant to return home that evening?

I sure don’t like those low temps! Dehydration is a serious risk- as is hypothermia, of course. Are bears still hibernating? Wolves? Cougars? I don’t like cases that criticize moms in their darkest hour, but this is no place to leave a 5 year old boy. I hope he hunkers down, makes a snow fort & uses fir boughs for warmth.

 

[Mistree]

I sure don’t like those low temps! Dehydration is a serious risk- as is hypothermia, of course. Are bears still hibernating? Wolves? Cougars? I don’t like cases that criticize moms in their darkest hour, but this is no place to leave a 5 year old boy. I hope he hunkers down, makes a snow fort & uses fir boughs for warmth.

I agree. I don’t know this area, maybe we have a local?
Is it normal to hike in snow? And aren’t there COVID-19 restrictions? I know where I live our parks etc are closed.

 

[JudgeJoe]

The best maps I’ve found so far are on p 9 & 34 of this guide. It’s so remote! I suppose if you live in AK, it feels normal. But as my dad used to say, “this is where God lost his overshoes”. Scary remote for a 5 yo.
https://www.tomsportguides.com/uploads/5/8/5/4/58547429/ketchikantrailsguide.pdf

 

[JudgeJoe]

I agree. I don’t know this area, maybe we have a local?
Is it normal to hike in snow? And aren’t there COVID-19 restrictions? I know where I live our parks etc are closed.

I suppose it’s standard to hike in snow- but not waist-deep snow. I’ve done that & it’s brutally tough. I think they’re more likely to run into a moose there than a C19 virus cell. And I think the moose is prob more dangerous. Not to diminish seriousness of this pandemic either. Jmo

 

[pinkfly]

Does this mean bad news or just that they have plenty of volunteers?

UPDATE 12:30 PM.: Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad now says there’s no need for additional volunteers to call in to assist with the search.

Search underway in Ketchikan area for boy missing since Wednesday - KRBD

 

[Mistree]

KTVA 11 News

Adding another MSM

 

[JudgeJoe]

Does this mean bad news or just that they have plenty of volunteers?

UPDATE 12:30 PM.: Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad now says there’s no need for additional volunteers to call in to assist with the search.

Search underway in Ketchikan area for boy missing since Wednesday - KRBD

I think the former. From the link:
“As of 10 a.m. Saturday, authorities aren’t yet asking for the public’s help in the search in this early phase of the effort. The more people that we have out there, the more signs that they are going to leave in the woods that we can’t account for,” rescue squad chief Kiffer said. “So tracking becomes more difficult. Sometimes more help is not is not better.”

 

[dyannaON]

Yikes.

 

[YaYa_521]

Praying they find him safe and Mom recovers quickly.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Heat seeking drones please, and fast!!

 

[JudgeJoe]

Info from media links thus far:

TIMELINE DRAFT 1:
Wed March 25: 4:15 p.m.
(3 hrs before sunset)
Jaxon & Mom hike Lunch Creek Trail, get lost in knee-deep snow & spend night in woods.

Thurs March 26: ? a.m.
Mom leaves boy in a “dry spot under tree” & heads out to get help, breaks ankle. Both spend a 2nd night in forest, separated.

Fri March 27: 10:30 a.m.
Mom is found by hiker, 3 miles up trail. SAR dispatched to bring her to trailhead/rush to ER for surgery.

Fri March 27: ? p.m.
Search for Jaxon begins.

Fri March 27: 7:30ish p.m.
Ground crew search for Jaxon suspended at darkness. Coast Guard helicopter w thermal imaging searches throughout night.

Saturday March 28: ? a.m.
Helicopter search ends early.
Ground search resumes w 20+-trained SAR volunteers. Searchers found one of Jaxon’s shoes.

*So far we don’t know if mom took snacks, water bottle & left w Jaxon.

LOCAL — Search continues for 5-year-old

 

[Baciagalupo]

Oh no, so many days in those conditions.

 

[Hazelnutty]

Sending prayers up for this little one.

 

[TatianaBarbie]

The best maps I’ve found so far are on p 9 & 34 of this guide. It’s so remote! I suppose if you live in AK, it feels normal. But as my dad used to say, “this is where God lost his overshoes”. Scary remote for a 5 yo.
https://www.tomsportguides.com/uploads/5/8/5/4/58547429/ketchikantrailsguide.pdf

Thank you for that excellent link of the trail! I never would have found this trail on google maps without that link, because google maps has the trailhead in the wrong location. I have marked the parking area fro the Lunch Creek Trail on this map:

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏



Zoomed in:



ETA clarification.

 

[Mistree]

Searchers find body of 5-year-old Ketchikan boy missing after hike went awry, troopers say

Sad!