Account
Feb 28, 2014
May 26, 2023
Kristopher
Zitzewitz
42
31
71 inches
74 inches
220 lbs
240 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
In the late days of September 2013, a 31-year-old man from Portland, Oregon, Kristopher Zitzewitz, embarked on an adventurous hike into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. On September 28th, he and a friend were exploring the unique and challenging landscape of the Big Lava Beds near Goose Lake, an area known for its rugged terrain, with the goal of finding caves. An unseasonably severe weather system moved into the mountains, bringing with it record-breaking rainfall and snow that drastically changed the conditions. Amid this torrential downpour, Kristopher, who was wearing a black rain coat, khaki pants, and hiking boots, became separated from his hiking partner. He was also equipped with a black backpack and a distinctive orange parachute cord bracelet. As the hours passed with no sign of him, it became tragically clear that he was missing in the vast wilderness. The immediate response was a large-scale search and rescue operation. The Skamania County Sheriff's Office, along with more than 100 volunteers, K-9 teams, and various vehicles, scoured the treacherous landscape where Kristopher was last seen. The relentless storm and the "roughest, nastiest terrain possible" created extremely hazardous conditions for the searchers, with visibility being exceptionally poor. A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to provide air support, attempting to peer into the deep crevasses and tree wells that mark the lava fields, but the severe weather forced it to turn back. After a week of exhaustive efforts that yielded no clues as to Kristopher’s whereabouts, officials made the difficult decision to suspend the active ground search, leaving his family with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss. For nearly eleven years, Kristopher's disappearance remained an unsolved case, a painful mystery for his loved ones. Then, in August 2024, a breakthrough occurred when a hiker exploring the Big Lava Bed area discovered a human skull. After the initial difficulty in relocating the site, the hiker graciously led authorities back to the exact location where the skull and additional human remains were recovered. Based on the location where the remains were found, which was consistent with Kristopher's last known whereabouts, authorities believe they belong to him and have notified his family. The remains were sent for definitive identification, bringing a somber resolution to a long and painful chapter. The case is an overview of a day of outdoor exploration that turned into a decade-long mystery when a young man vanished in a sudden, severe storm, and how a chance discovery by a fellow hiker finally brought him home.
Sep 29, 2013
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Washington
Skamania County
No
23052
Skamania County Sheriff's Office
Stevenson
Washington
Skamania County
98648
Timothy Garrity
Detective
200 Vancouver Avenue, Washington
5094279490
County
Law Enforcement
13-07651
Skamania County Sheriff's Office
Blond/Strawberry
Brown
Brown
06/13/2026
