A California man missing for months likely had a medical emergency that killed him before his body was taken by a wild animal, investigators now say.
The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating the disappearance of Goodyears Bar resident Gil Clark since August.
Search crews were deployed to the four-mile stretch of Highway 49 between Downieville and the Goodyears Bar, the area Clark was known to walk, along with the area around his home, but no sign of him was found at the time.
Searchers, however, did report seeing significant bear activity, the sheriff’s office says. Neighbors also reported mountain lion activity in the area.
After continuing to investigate Clark’s disappearance, another search was deployed on Nov. 14. This time, the sheriff’s office says clothing and other personal items believed to belong to Clark were discovered.
The November search effort map (left) vs. the August search map (right).
Sierra County Sheriff’s Office
Cadaver dogs were then deployed the next day, but the sheriff’s office says no other evidence was found.
The sheriff’s office says investigators now believe Clark likely had some sort of medical emergency near his home that either incapacitated or killed him. A bear or mountain lion then likely dragged Clark from the area, investigators say.
Investigators noted that Clark’s disappearance remains an open case.Â