David Milton Crouch, aged 27, was last seen on August 31, 1997, while on a hiking trip in the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Pinedale, Wyoming. He had been hiking with three friends and a guide but separated from the group to go on a solo fishing trip at Island Lake, located at an elevation of 10,500 feet. When he failed to return to the group's base camp by nightfall, his companions began searching for him and reported him missing the next morning.
Crouch was not carrying any supplies, including essential items like a coat or gloves, and the nighttime temperatures in the area were well below freezing. Authorities believe that it would have been difficult for him to survive under such conditions. Extensive searches were conducted, but no trace of Crouch was ever found. He was an avid bicyclist and owned a bike shop with his wife in Stevensville, Maryland, at the time of his disappearance.
Despite the efforts of search and rescue teams, no leads have emerged, and he is presumed to have been lost or injured in the wilderness.Last Seen: Sep 7, 1997
