On September 6, 2021, 31-year-old Joel Curtis Thomazin embarked on a solo hiking and fishing trip in Yosemite National Park, California. An experienced outdoorsman and a U.S. Army reservist, Thomazin planned to hike from Hetch Hetchy to the remote Lake Eleanor, where he intended to fish, and return on September 9. The last confirmed sighting of Thomazin was by a park ranger at approximately 5:00 p.m. on September 6, as he was crossing above the O'Shaughnesy Dam.
Thomazin was well-equipped for his backcountry excursion. His family reported that he was carrying a significant amount of gear, including a large tan Kelty backpack, a green sleeping bag, a dark blue/green hammock, and a bright red inflatable kayak. He also had a red and black CamelBak-style day pack, a black and yellow collapsible sink, a U.S. Army steel cup from 1918, and was wearing a floppy cloth hat and tan or blue zip-off pants.
When Thomazin failed to return as scheduled on September 9, he was reported missing, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation. Search crews on the ground, in the air, and in boats scoured his intended route and surrounding areas, including the possibility that he might have extended his trip to Cherry Lake or the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River. Despite the thorough search, which covered an estimated 1,000 square miles of wilderness, no sign of Thomazin or any of his brightly colored gear was ever discovered. The lack of any physical evidence left investigators baffled.
After two months of fruitless searching, the formal search was called off in early November 2021. Thomazin's family, including his wife of seven years and their two-year-old son, held a memorial service for him in December 2021, presuming he had gotten lost or injured in the vast wilderness of the park. His father mentioned that Joel had recently lost his best friend and was looking forward to the trip to "seek God and talk to God," an activity that was not out of character for him when dealing with grief. As of today, Joel Curtis Thomazin's disappearance remains an unresolved missing person case.Last Seen: Sep 6, 2021
