A California faculty scholar who was organising a posh treasure hunt has develop into the topic of a search himself when he vanished within the Pacific Ocean whereas paddling a canoe, kin mentioned.
Hunter Lewis, a 21-year-old aerospace engineering scholar at Cal State Lengthy Seashore, left from Trinidad Seashore in Humboldt County on Dec. 30 as part of his almost two-year plan to cover objects for his household and pals to seek out within the contest — which has develop into a beloved custom, the Los Angeles Instances reported.
Now, as an alternative of having fun with the treasure hunt — which began as an Instagram web page and grew to have 230 followers — the household is looking for Hunter.
“He’s that misplaced treasure,” his dad, Corey Lewis, informed the Los Angeles Instances.
The avid younger outdoorsman was probably heading to Flatiron Rock — a tiny island a number of hundred yards offshore — however he hasn’t returned and should have encountered a rocky reef within the treacherous waters alongside the coast, his father informed the newspaper.
Hopes of discovering Hunter alive are dwindling with every passing day, in response to his father.
“At this level, it’s a restoration operation, not a rescue operation,” the elder Lewis informed the newspaper Tuesday. “I'm simply hoping to seek out my son to return to his mom to bury.”
The grim outlook comes as parts of Hunter’s canoe and different private objects have washed ashore, together with a wood cigar field that had develop into a prized possession following an earlier treasure hunt held by the household.
“I gave it to Hunter, and he saved his little treasures and belongings in it, and he had it with him and was hiding treasure in it,” Lewis continued. “We discovered it on a seashore.”
The treasure hunt concocted by Hunter included clues and keys constructed from a 3-D printer and required members to rappel down a cliffside at one level, the Instances reported.
The tour got here as Hunter and his girlfriend had been visiting Humboldt County over winter break, in response to the newspaper.
“We had been out looking via the completely different clues [on Dec. 30] and we knew he was hiding the treasure,” the elder Lewis informed the Instances. “And he by no means returned.”
Hunter’s father later alerted sheriff officers, main them and the US Coast Guard to go looking the seashore. Energetic rescue efforts had been suspended on New Yr’s Eve, however the seek for Hunter was nonetheless ongoing Friday, Lewis mentioned in a Fb group devoted to discovering his misplaced son.
“It’s not over!” Lewis wrote early Friday. “The hunt goes on!”
The group had 2,900 members as of Friday, together with some who mentioned they searched close by trails and seashores as lately as late Thursday. Earlier within the week, Lewis posted a photograph of Hunter’s “wood treasure bucket” that was discovered Tuesday on Trinidad State Seashore.
“I’m not stopping ever,” Lewis mentioned of his search efforts Thursday. “I’m going to convey Hunter house.”
Underwater searches Thursday within the Flatiron Rock space led to no indicators of Hunter or his belongings, in response to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Hunter, a junior, was visiting house in Blue Lake, California, together with his girlfriend when he went lacking, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
It’s unclear if Hunter was sporting a wetsuit on the time, however Corey Lewis suspects he was not. The younger man had goals of changing into an astronaut and was lately accepted to NASA’s PoSSUM Scientist Astronaut Program, the Chronicle reported.
A web-based fundraiser to assist pay for personal search groups had raised $31,000 as of Friday, however Corey Lewis realizes the possibilities of discovering his son alive are slim.
“In that water, there’s no likelihood of survival,” Lewis informed the Chronicle of situations off Trinidad Seashore.
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