On a visit to Alaska from his home in Texas, 46-year-old Bradford Broach was last seen on the evening of August 2, 2016, in Girdwood. He was staying at the Alyeska Resort Hotel and reportedly set out for a hike on the Winner Creek Trailhead sometime between 7:30 and 9:00 p.m. Concerns for his well-being arose after he failed to board his scheduled flight back to Texas, and his wife reported him missing on August 4th. Investigators located his rental car and personal belongings left behind in the hotel parking lot. At the time of his disappearance, the married father was last seen wearing a light blue button-up shirt, khaki shorts, a ball cap, and brown leather 'Teva' sport sandals, and he was carrying a black or blue laptop bag.
An extensive search was launched for the missing man, involving a large number of people over the subsequent days. Search teams scoured the well-maintained and frequently traveled Winner Creek Trail, a popular route for tourists. Despite the trail being easy to follow, with portions even consisting of boardwalk, the initial search efforts yielded no sign of Broach. Searchers did discover some footprints and litter, such as cough-drop wrappers and food packaging, but they could not definitively link any of these items to him. As the search expanded, there was still no indication of his whereabouts. His cell phone was noted to be turned off, preventing any attempts to locate him through its signal.
The disappearance of Bradford Broach remains an unsolved case, leaving his family with unanswered questions. The Winner Creek Trail he was believed to have been hiking is a known route that connects to other trails, but it is unclear what path he might have taken. It did not appear that he was equipped for an overnight stay in the wilderness. Despite the significant search efforts in the days and weeks following his disappearance, no trace of him has ever been found, and the circumstances surrounding how he vanished from a popular hiking area continue to be a mystery. His case is classified as a lost or injured missing person.
Last Seen: Aug 02, 2016
