Found Deceased NY - Paul McKay, 31, Saranac Lake, 31 Dec 2013

[enzeder]

Warmer temperatures and melting snow near Saranac Lake have aided US police and rangers on the ninth day of the search for missing Australian soldier and Canberra man Paul McKay.

Between 30 and 60 personnel, including rangers and police officers from across New York state, are currently conducting an intensive ground search for Mr McKay.

[...]

"We are following every single lead that we can and have every hope of recovering him quickly and in the best condition possible," Sergeant Law said.

"There is no scale back of the search based on any type of speculation as to his condition. We're going ahead full speed."

Search crew hold out hope for missing Australian soldier Paul McKay
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act...-paul-mckay-20140113-30pjx.html#ixzz2qEkq7Yly

 

[SouthAussie]

Search crew hold out hope for missing Australian soldier Paul McKay
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act...-paul-mckay-20140113-30pjx.html#ixzz2qEkq7Yly

"US Police are still looking to speak to anyone who knew why Paul McKay came to the United States, or who may have spoken to him about his plans."

 

[Sunrisenow]

Teams of volunteers, overseen by state forest rangers, were called in this weekend to help conduct a grid search of the area. Nason said the search is focused on the Scarface Mountain area.

The effort was cut short on Saturday due to heavy rain but resumed Sunday. The search will continue today, Nason said.

http://www.adirondackdailyenterpris...-for-Paul-McKay-continues-today.html?nav=5046

 

[marlywings]

Search continues for Australian soldier Paul McKay missing in US wilderness

Updated 7 hours 58 minutes ago

Police and rangers have found no sign of missing Canberra soldier Paul McKay who disappeared into wilderness in upstate New York two weeks ago

He was spotted carrying a large backpack and police believe that despite the freezing conditions he was headed for Lake Placid in the state's north.

Authorities say the 31-year-old's military training and fitness will help him survive.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-14/search-continues-for-missing-australian-soldier-in-us/5198790

 

[marlywings]

From that same link another photo of Paul...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-14/search-continues-for-missing-australian-soldier-in-us/5198790

 

[marlywings]

January 15, 2014

The search area for missing Australian soldier and Canberra man Paul McKay will be expanded, as clues about his whereabouts remain elusive a fortnight after he was last seen near Saranac Lake in New York state

A statement from the state department of environment and conservation said forest rangers would expand the primary search area from Tuesday, covering areas including trails, paths and drains to locate any clues - such as tracks, gear or garbage - for the missing 31-year-old's location.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act...-york-state-20140114-30tc0.html#ixzz2qNTFm6ws

 

[SouthAussie]

I was reading some blogs and articles last night about people living off the grid in the Adirondack Mountains (Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, etc). Can't link much as it was mostly blogs and non-MSM, but there are lots of bits and pieces about it out there.

One man had been doing it for 20 years, another for 3 years. People didn’t even know they were/are out there. One man just had a branch covered lean-to for shelter (the one who had lived there for 20 years).

I started wondering if something like that is why Paul travelled so far then disappeared?

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/03/cabin-life-the-decision-to-live-off-the-grid.html
http://visitadirondacks.com/


I just don’t get the long, long journey .. to just disappear. http://goo.gl/maps/G49fe

 

[Sunrisenow]

Ranger Kevin Burns is now leading group of rangers to the top of Mount Scarface.

"We're assuming that maybe Paul may have gone down the hiking trail and gone up to the summit of Scarface," he said.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/20754459...-soldier-paul-mckay-to-summit-of-mt-scarface/

 

[SouthAussie]

(from article above ^^^)

Local police are chasing leads in Australia and in New York state, but they now believe Captain McKay did not want to be followed or found.

"I'd like to think that Paul's left the area. Tomorrow Paul's due to fly to New York, New Jersey and due to fly home.

…. and they have been trying to track down anyone from a nearby US military base who may have served with him in Afghanistan.

 

[marlywings]

Applause to this mate...

Wayne LaPierre is an Iraq war veteran who has volunteered to help search for his fellow soldier.

"I always hate to see somebody with PTSD get this far," he said.

"I would like to find him, get him out and get him the help he needs."

The search will go on for another five days, at which point authorities will decide whether to scale it back

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-...ace-for-missing-australian-paul-mckay/5200532

 

[Ephtee]

Just a thought, guys. Australian media is always very reticent to report on suicides. For example if someone jumps in front of a train they may report that the trains aren't running, but will never say it's because someone suicided in this manner. It's possible that they are aware it's probably suicide and hence are cautious about reporting.

 

[GGE]

This is not far from where Collin Gillis went missing...he went missing from Tupper Lake, less then 1/2 hour.

Collins thread.

NY NY - Colin Gillis, 18, Tupper Lake, 2am on 11 March 2012 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

I haven't read this whole thread but I'm from upstate NY. First thought I had was, I wonder if he met Israel Keyes in the military at some point in some way, and/or knows of his story, and is on his way to "off-grid-live" in Keyes' old abandoned house up there in the area for some reason, or to otherwise check it out. Hopefully someone has already checked it. I know this sounds odd but if you think about it, it's a world wide story (IK) and pretty much all the stories about him either talk about his house in upstate NY and the fact that it still stands and is abandoned, or links to other articles which do. I can't think offhand of any other property in the world that has been so widely publicized as being vacant, really.... just a thought.

 

[GGE]

Alright, made it thru the thread and am sad that it's not got more good info in it, but these cases can be very difficult when there's just not much in MSM.

A bit of info about the adirondacks, where my family has vacationed every year for the better part of two decades... it's the USA's largest natural wildlife preserve (no hunting allowed, and the animals run rampant - there are TONS of bears, we see them every time we're up there, wandering in parking lots and eating out of trash cans).... the weather as stated was in the neighborhood of -50F for two days straight with windchills factored in, there's been areas of flooding/icejams up that way during this time of freeze, melt, and rain recently.... and what about Beaver River?

Beaver River. You can only access it by boat in the summer or by snowmobile/cross country skiing in the winter. It has a very small handful of year round residents. The Norridgewock is the name of the "hotel/restaurant/generalstore/place where there is the one phone on the island"... summer access is across the Stillwater reservoir, winter you can probably get there via the means mentioned from a few other areas.

http://www.beaverriver.com/home/

My mom had a friend with a cabin up there in the 80s, we went there every summer, we'd be on a boat for a solid hour before hitting the island. There are lots of homes/camps there, most without electricity or running water back then.. not sure about now. Almost all of them are seasonal. There's no police department or school or church or anything, despite having a couple of year round residents (according to wikipedia, make that "eight").

Wonder if he read about the place and made his way there?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_River,_New_York

 

[Sunrisenow]

US authorities searching for missing Australian soldier Paul McKay in dense forest in upstate New York are also monitoring airports in New Jersey and Los Angeles in the hope he arrives for his flight back to Australia.

http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8784453/us-airports-monitored-for-missing-aussie

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I am encouraged by these theories that Paul may have chosen to go "off the grid"... And that there are examples of others that have done the same in the Adirondacks...

A very intelligent, fit, prepared for military life man like Paul would have one of the best chances of success in this pursuit... IMO...

I do wish that if this is the case... That, when he gets a chance, he does let his loved ones know he is okay ...

JMO

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I just had a random thought...

maybe Paul chose to go to the Adirondacks since they are almost completely the opposite in climate, land, foliage, etc. than the areas he stayed at while in the service in the Middle East?

Maybe he is trying to make a definite break from his memories in the service?

:waitasec:

 

[GGE]

http://www.wcax.com/story/24464688/frantic-search-in-adirondacks-for-missing-australian-soldier

In part (BBM) -

" He didn't relay to his family or notify anybody in his family that he was coming to the U.S. They had no idea he was traveling to the U.S. and it was kind of out of character for him to leave the area and not let his parents know where he was going," Saranac Lake Police Chief Bruce Nason said."

<snip>

""The email he sent his father leads us to believe he didn't plan on returning," Nason explained."

Hadn't seen that exact info here yet..

 

[GGE]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-...-fails-to-board-return-flight-from-us/5202554

(BBM)

"An Australian soldier who has been missing in the US for 16 days has failed to turn up for his return flight to Australia."

<snip>

"His flight from Newark to Los Angeles was due to leave at 1:25 pm on Wednesday (local time), but he did not show up.

Authorities at Los Angeles airport are on alert, in case he turns up to catch the connecting flight to Australia later today. "

<snip>

"When Captain McKay checked out of his hotel in Saranac Lake and walked into the woods, it was just before the polar vortex hit.

The wind sent temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Celsius for days.

Captain McKay left behind personal items after checking out of his hotel - including his camera and clothes. "


(more at link)

 

[GGE]

In case people from far away are like me, and can better visualize a case when they know a bit more about the area:

(BTW, I didn't realize this, and I'm *from* NY!)

"While the region's cool, clear air was part of what made Saranac Lake famous, it can be a challenge. Winters are quite cold and it is not uncommon for the village to be the coldest place in the continental United States."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saranac_Lake,_New_York

And a bit about the Adirondack park area where he went missing from:

"The Adirondack Park is a publicly protected, elliptical area encompassing much of the northeastern lobe of Upstate New York, United States. It is the largest park and the largest state-level protected area in the contiguous United States, and the largest National Historic Landmark.

The park covers some 6.1 million acres (2.5×106 ha), a land area roughly the size of Vermont and greater than the National Parks of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Great Smoky Mountains combined."

Adirondack Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(back to lurking quietly)

 

[poppygirl]

He left his camera behind...wonder what he took pictures of to leave behind...