The Vanishing At Marion Lake - Sanford Rice
Added 2025-10-17 21:41:14 +0000 UTC
Comments
Did I understand correctly that he only left for this hike at some time after 1pm? Two hours of driving, followed by miles of hiking to get to the lake, and it was raining? He drew an accurate map of the hiking trail clearly showing that it did not go around the lake, but he somehow got off that trail onto one going on past the lake into the wilderness. He's wandering around wet after dusk. He's got to be cold, and it looks like there's a lot of loose rock, so easy to slip and fall. At his (and my) age, a simple fall can be catastrophic. I get it...sometimes you get fed up with the restrictions of old age, and you just want to do the same stuff you did when you were young. He made that mistake in a dangerous place. RIP, Mr. Rice.
PJWollum
2025-10-25 21:26:12 +0000 UTCI know this is pure conjecture, but I find the behavior of the last family to have seen him as odd. It’s a strange thing to mark the footprint but not take further action to help.
Chi
2025-10-25 18:59:16 +0000 UTCI definitely think you could be onto something about him wanting to take photos as the sun‘s going down. It’s much easier to get lost in the dark.
Tegan.wr
2025-10-25 16:01:24 +0000 UTCAnother great video! I think the biggest clue is him getting lost in the past. It shows he has bad sense of direction and judgment. I personally think he chose to continue around the lake and I suspect getting dark played a role in him becoming more disoriented. I’m actually kind of shocked. He never was found. I’m assuming he’s outside of their search range. I think I will watch this video again when it comes out on YouTube sometimes I like watching them twice.
Tegan.wr
2025-10-25 15:55:05 +0000 UTCOne of these days, I am crossing my fingers you will do the missing person case of Tom Messick. That’s one that just always has me scratching my head and I completely am at a loss for what could’ve happened. I always love your opinions and theories on cases.
Tegan.wr
2025-10-25 15:54:55 +0000 UTCYes, it is uncertain what kind of weather was in the area when Sanford disappeared, or what level of rain. I'm never too surprised when it's written that 'the K9's never picked up a scent'. There's just so many variables. One of my greatest complaints of police reports on SAR's like this is that they rarely give info on the types of dogs used (air-scent, tracking, trailing, etc.) or if they later brought in cadaver dogs. It just makes it more difficult to analyze later on. The experience and ability of a dog is a whole other matter too.
The Missing Enigma
2025-10-24 18:29:18 +0000 UTCOh, some how I missed that this episode went out
Tegan.wr
2025-10-24 15:00:45 +0000 UTCEnjoyed the video, Nick! I listened to it while running and then wanted to sit down and watch as some of it seemed quite visual. I needed to know what “not kill you steep” really looked like! So, not sure this is helpful insight, but I am a SAR K9 handler. While dogs are trained in all conditions, especially inclement weather, heavy rain can make a search difficult, and usually you want to try a few different teams at various times, especially if one isn’t picking up a scent. Sometimes rain is beneficial for a search, as most tracking is actually done through scents left in the air more so than the ground. Again, it varies though and as you know anytime you enter the wilderness, even a well maintained trail can become an issue with rain and/or wind, It also doesn’t take a whole lot of water to become a very dangerous situation for someone hiking with limited gear and clothing. I tried to get an accurate weather report, but the few first-hand accounts I saw seemed to suggest heavy rain, but again relying on what that person considers “heavy rain” isn’t exactly reliable. Just figured I’d offer my 2 cents! Thanks for all you do!
Stefanka
2025-10-23 02:02:39 +0000 UTCI think the jacket is a red herring (pun intended) because if Sanford had one, he would wear it in rainy weather and there’s no mention of it in his last sighting. I would put my money on him trying to complete the tour of the lake or at least scouting for nice views and a possible comeback on the east / south bank. Let’s see his odds: at 19.30 in late june he can count on one, one and half hour of light (and maybe he has a torch in his backpack), there’s rain but he doesn’t seem much worried about it. Not great, but nothing a determined hiker can’t handle... at least until that moment. Then he sees the marked path diverge from the lake. There’s a smaller trail going towards the lake and he takes it. Then as you said, there’s rather flat ground with few trees; with the sun going down opposite the lake it can be tempting to take photos, especially if there’s some light throught the clouds. Maybe he tries to complete the loop, and rather that in the marshy area in the south/west corner (where there was indeed canine interest) he has an accident, medical or otherwise, on the steep banks on the other side, or trying to cross the other creeks on the south/west banks. This area is much more covered by trees and shrubs judging from satellite images. Maybe caution prevails, and he comes back, he’s not spotted by the campers who at this time may be eating or taking cover against the rain, and has his bad moment on the way back and in partial or total darkness. Maybe he takes a wrong turn between Marion Lake and Lake Ann. It’s true that a map of the searched areas would be extremely useful. Thanks again for accurate research and beautiful views!
john smith
2025-10-20 10:34:17 +0000 UTCEverything I read said it was just some rain. It did not indicate how much rain or anything. That user trail ended after a short distance. If Sanford used it, he would have essentially wandered off into the forest. I don't know why a 'level headed' person would do that near dark.
The Missing Enigma
2025-10-19 22:38:13 +0000 UTCThanks for another great video. Bit of a mystery this one (as they all are I suppose), but here are my two øre: I think the darkness and the weather must have played a crucial role. Say he did attempt to hike around the lake, and that the footprints on the path was his, he would soon have found himself in near total darkness and rain. Or at least that's what I would assume. Are there any lights around that he would be likely to see? If he had no light of his own, he could easily have gotten disoriented if he tried to go back -- especially if it was raining and overcast. Now, if it rained and he was only wearing a t-shirt, he would not only be lost but likely soaking and cold. In such a situation he could have realized that he would be done for if he stopped, and had to keep walking to stay alive. In such a scenario a fit man can walk very far, even if he's 75. He could have ended up somewhere far away and quite illogical and thus be hard to find. At least that's if "adverse weather" was rain -- did you confirm that? I should probably rewatch the video before making this post... Oh well.
Rolf Regensburg
2025-10-19 19:37:02 +0000 UTCBut where’s the body
Lorna Dryden
2025-10-19 05:33:57 +0000 UTCI bet he’s on top of a ridge, they always are found miles and miles away and on a high point
Lorna Dryden
2025-10-19 05:33:29 +0000 UTCI wonder if he took his own life and was planning to do that all along. He may have told people where he was going to make it seem like he'd just become lost and then died from the elements. Better that than for his family and friends to think he killed himself. Not everyone shows signs of depression, after all.
Julie Bradford
2025-10-19 02:17:59 +0000 UTC
