On March 1, 2025, Bret Valona, a 36-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was dropped off by family members at the Eastern Lake Trailhead in Point Washington State Forest in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. An experienced outdoorsman from Wisconsin, Valona was known for taking trips where he would camp with minimal equipment and live off the land for weeks at a time. He was last seen wearing a flannel shirt, khaki-colored shorts, a yellow rain jacket, and was carrying two backpacks. Valona is described as having short brown hair, blue eyes, and a goatee. Communication with him ceased the morning of March 2, and his phone appeared to be no longer in use around that time. After he missed a scheduled check-in with his family, his sister reported him missing to the Walton County Sheriff's Office on March 29, 2025.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office, along with a K-9 team, conducted a search of the Eastern Lake Trailhead area on March 30.
Concern for Valona's well-being grew when his family learned he had been experiencing suicidal thoughts. This prompted his family and friends to travel from Wisconsin to Florida to organize additional search efforts in April. Numerous volunteer organizations, including the Cajun Navy and Civil Air Patrol, joined in the extensive search for the missing veteran. A GoFundMe campaign was created to help offset the travel and lodging expenses for those who came to aid in the search. Despite these efforts, which included ground searches with K-9 units, drones, and aerial searches, there were no confirmed sightings of Valona.
Tragically, on September 14, 2025, a father and son who were hiking in the forest discovered a campsite and human remains. The Walton County Sheriff's Office responded and found items that matched what Valona had been carrying. The District 1 Medical Examiner's office later confirmed the remains belonged to Bret Valona. The investigating agency has reported that Valona is deceased. In a statement, the Walton County Sheriff's Office expressed their condolences to Valona's family and thanked everyone who had participated in the search efforts. This somber discovery brought a heartbreaking end to the months-long search for the missing Marine veteran, a son, brother, uncle, and friend.Last Seen: Mar 1, 2025
