WEBVTT 00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:10.810 The views and opinions expressed in Cold and 00:00:10.810 --> 00:00:13.710 Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All 00:00:13.710 --> 00:00:16.129 parties mentioned are considered innocent until 00:00:16.129 --> 00:00:18.969 proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing 00:00:18.969 --> 00:00:22.410 also contains adult themes and languages. Listener 00:00:22.410 --> 00:00:26.269 discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin 00:00:26.269 --> 00:00:28.989 -Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski. 00:00:29.230 --> 00:00:31.269 And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover 00:00:31.269 --> 00:00:34.969 cold cases and missing person cases. Hello everyone 00:00:34.969 --> 00:00:37.149 and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your 00:00:37.149 --> 00:00:39.270 host Allie and it will just be me coming to you 00:00:39.270 --> 00:00:42.549 this week. I know we took last week off and frankly 00:00:42.549 --> 00:00:44.810 we've taken a lot of weeks off this summer, but 00:00:44.810 --> 00:00:48.369 this summer, summer of 2025, has really been 00:00:48.369 --> 00:00:52.130 one for the books in our family. So we have definitely 00:00:52.130 --> 00:00:56.490 needed just the time, the space. We had dog surgeries, 00:00:56.630 --> 00:00:59.469 we've had weddings, we've just had trying to 00:00:59.469 --> 00:01:02.609 enjoy the summer. So thank you so much for being 00:01:02.609 --> 00:01:05.719 patient with us. We promise we will be back on 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:08.079 our regularly scheduled program soon enough, 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:11.140 but I wanted to get on here and bring you another 00:01:11.140 --> 00:01:13.920 episode this week, even though Eli, my wonderful 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:16.920 husband, can't join us. I also just wanted to 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:19.760 note on the topic of summer that there may be 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:22.120 a little background noise that normally isn't 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:25.540 there just because it is very hot where we are, 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:29.060 so the AC is pumping just a little bit, so you 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:33.280 might... Hear it kick on, kick off, but hopefully 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:35.180 you'll be patient with us. Normally we turn it 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:38.079 off, but it is just so hot right now that we 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:42.140 can't let the house boil up. So if you'll indulge 00:01:42.140 --> 00:01:45.599 us, I'd appreciate it so much, but I think we 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:48.939 should just go ahead and get into it. We are 00:01:48.939 --> 00:01:52.299 on a missing person case this week, and today 00:01:52.299 --> 00:01:55.400 we are covering the missing person case of Garrett 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:59.569 Bardsley. And this takes place in the Unita Mountains 00:01:59.569 --> 00:02:05.370 in Utah in August of 2004. But first, a little 00:02:05.370 --> 00:02:08.069 bit about Garrett. Garrett Bardsley was just 00:02:08.069 --> 00:02:11.349 12 years old when he disappeared. He had actually 00:02:11.349 --> 00:02:14.189 turned 12 just a few weeks before our timeline 00:02:14.189 --> 00:02:18.289 picks up. He lived with his family near Elk Ridge, 00:02:18.430 --> 00:02:21.590 Utah, along a quiet rural road nestled between 00:02:21.590 --> 00:02:24.500 Elk Ridge and Salem. Garrett was the youngest 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:27.199 of four siblings, and by all accounts, he was 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:30.460 a shy and timid boy, but one who carried himself 00:02:30.460 --> 00:02:34.659 with a quiet kindness. His mother, Heidi, and 00:02:34.659 --> 00:02:37.620 his father, Kevin, describe him as someone who 00:02:37.620 --> 00:02:41.280 genuinely wanted to help others. Once, he even 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:43.740 suggested to his family that they sell the family 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:46.419 business so they could all live in tents and 00:02:46.419 --> 00:02:49.800 help more people. Garrett was a part of the Church 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:52.259 of Latter -day Saints, and he looked forward 00:02:52.259 --> 00:02:54.639 to being a missionary and helping serve others. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:58.759 He was also a member of Boy Scout Troop 694. 00:02:59.340 --> 00:03:02.819 It was sponsored by the Salem 8th Latter -day 00:03:02.819 --> 00:03:06.740 Saint Ward. At the time he went missing, Garrett 00:03:06.740 --> 00:03:11.139 is 5 feet tall, weighed about 115 pounds, and 00:03:11.139 --> 00:03:14.740 had light brown hair and brown eyes. And now, 00:03:14.819 --> 00:03:20.120 a timeline of events. Thursday, August 19, 2004. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:25.699 That day, Garrett and his father, along with 00:03:25.699 --> 00:03:29.699 17 other boys from Troop 694 and six adults, 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.520 were gearing up for a weekend camping trip in 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:36.020 the Unita Mountains. They planned on hiking into 00:03:36.020 --> 00:03:38.639 the mountains for a few days and setting up camp 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.840 near Cuberant Lake. As I mentioned, six adult 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:44.020 leaders came along, and the plan was simple. 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:47.479 A quiet, pressure -free weekend before the boys 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:50.139 started school again. Garrett was due to start 00:03:50.139 --> 00:03:53.659 middle school that following Wednesday. The troop 00:03:53.659 --> 00:03:56.139 leaders didn't want the boys to worry about earning 00:03:56.139 --> 00:03:59.120 merit badges. They truly wanted the weekend to 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:01.879 just be relaxing and spending time with each 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:05.039 other. This wasn't Garrett's first camping trip. 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:08.060 He had actually just returned from a week -long 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:10.240 outing where he had even earned his wilderness 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:14.419 survival merit badge. The boys and leaders hiked 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:17.139 into the mountains and set up camp near the lake, 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:20.740 about 10 ,000 feet above sea level, so they were 00:04:20.740 --> 00:04:24.459 up in the mountains. The next day, Friday, August 00:04:24.459 --> 00:04:29.860 20, 2004. That morning, Garrett and his dad headed 00:04:29.860 --> 00:04:34.199 down to Cuberant Lake to fish. Around 8 a .m., 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.839 Garrett slipped and stepped into the chilly water, 00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:40.839 soaking his shoes, socks, and pants. At first, 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:44.509 he laughed when he got wet. But soon, the cold 00:04:44.509 --> 00:04:47.189 got to him, and his father sent him back to the 00:04:47.189 --> 00:04:49.930 camp to change into dry socks, shoes, and pants. 00:04:51.170 --> 00:04:53.629 Garrett took his fishing pole and headed back 00:04:53.629 --> 00:04:56.829 towards camp. He was last seen wearing a black 00:04:56.829 --> 00:04:59.970 hooded sweatshirt, red sweatpants, t -shirt, 00:05:00.089 --> 00:05:04.170 and Converse shoes. Kevin watched his son start 00:05:04.170 --> 00:05:06.589 back towards the camp, keeping his eyes on him 00:05:06.589 --> 00:05:09.930 as he made his way. The walk back to camp wasn't 00:05:09.930 --> 00:05:15.540 too far. about 150 yards or 137 meters for our 00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:19.680 overseas listeners. Kevin kept his eyes on Garrett 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.040 as he walked. He even yelled out to him once 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:24.980 when he started to veer off the path that would 00:05:24.980 --> 00:05:29.079 get him towards camp. Kevin says, quote, as he 00:05:29.079 --> 00:05:31.300 went around the lake, I watched him because that's 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:33.819 what fathers do. And then I watched him go off 00:05:33.819 --> 00:05:37.060 into the trees. According to reports, something 00:05:37.060 --> 00:05:39.579 at the lake grabbed Kevin's attention, so he 00:05:39.579 --> 00:05:42.180 took his eyes off Garrett for a moment, and when 00:05:42.180 --> 00:05:44.240 he looked back, his son had disappeared into 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:47.459 the trees. But Kevin wasn't panicked at this 00:05:47.459 --> 00:05:49.939 point. He assumed he had just walked out of eyesight 00:05:49.939 --> 00:05:55.279 towards the camp. About 15 minutes later, Kevin 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:57.920 returned to the camp as well and learned that 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:01.180 no one had seen his son. At first, he tried not 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:04.689 to panic. But quickly, the adults started searching. 00:06:05.490 --> 00:06:07.730 Everyone in the camp assumed Garrett must be 00:06:07.730 --> 00:06:11.029 close by. He would be able to hear them yelling, 00:06:11.050 --> 00:06:13.310 or they would be able to see each other in the 00:06:13.310 --> 00:06:16.910 distance. However, with each passing minute, 00:06:17.129 --> 00:06:20.329 and with every yell that went unanswered, panic 00:06:20.329 --> 00:06:24.430 settled over the Boy Scout troop. By 11 a .m., 00:06:24.430 --> 00:06:27.629 after nearly three hours of the Boy Scouts searching, 00:06:27.970 --> 00:06:30.310 the Summit County Sheriff's Office was notified. 00:06:31.370 --> 00:06:34.490 Rain and hail were moving into the area, so it 00:06:34.490 --> 00:06:36.670 was difficult to start the search, but quickly, 00:06:36.870 --> 00:06:39.910 police, search and rescue, and helicopters were 00:06:39.910 --> 00:06:43.209 launched in the area. The helicopters were equipped 00:06:43.209 --> 00:06:45.730 with infrared cameras to help aid in the search. 00:06:46.629 --> 00:06:48.829 Professional search and rescuers showed up, and 00:06:48.829 --> 00:06:51.250 they noted how easy it was to get turned around 00:06:51.250 --> 00:06:54.189 in the area where Garrett was last seen. There 00:06:54.189 --> 00:06:56.569 were no major landmarks, and everything kind 00:06:56.569 --> 00:06:59.430 of looked the same. One official said it was 00:06:59.430 --> 00:07:02.610 like the surface of the moon. The Boy Scout troop, 00:07:02.889 --> 00:07:05.410 police, search and rescue, they searched all 00:07:05.410 --> 00:07:08.870 day and into the evening. However, due to the 00:07:08.870 --> 00:07:11.709 ruggedness of the area, when darkness fell, they 00:07:11.709 --> 00:07:14.790 had to call the search off for the night. There 00:07:14.790 --> 00:07:17.069 had been no sign of Garrett since he was last 00:07:17.069 --> 00:07:21.250 seen walking away back to the camp. On Saturday, 00:07:21.329 --> 00:07:25.689 August 21st, the next day, search efforts resumed 00:07:25.689 --> 00:07:29.269 at first light. More crews arrived and volunteers 00:07:29.269 --> 00:07:32.470 started arriving to help in the search. They 00:07:32.470 --> 00:07:34.870 searched all day looking for a sign of Garrett. 00:07:35.290 --> 00:07:39.529 But again, nothing was found. The search started 00:07:39.529 --> 00:07:41.730 to get more intense and it was stressed how important 00:07:41.730 --> 00:07:44.990 it was to find Garrett. Even though it was August 00:07:44.990 --> 00:07:48.569 and the end of summer, the temperatures dropped 00:07:48.569 --> 00:07:52.220 near freezing in the mountains. Garrett was not 00:07:52.220 --> 00:07:54.360 dressed to handle that kind of weather, and he 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:56.600 didn't have any provisions with him. He didn't 00:07:56.600 --> 00:07:58.680 have any food, he didn't have any water, and 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:00.860 he didn't have any extra clothing to help keep 00:08:00.860 --> 00:08:03.939 him warm. Again, as night fell, the search was 00:08:03.939 --> 00:08:07.860 called off. The next day, Sunday, August 22nd, 00:08:07.860 --> 00:08:11.540 the search expanded to over 200 people and four 00:08:11.540 --> 00:08:13.740 square miles from where Garrett was last seen. 00:08:14.699 --> 00:08:16.759 Garrett's mother, Heidi, arrived at the mountain 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:19.449 to help the search. She had been on a cruise 00:08:19.449 --> 00:08:21.350 with her parents, so it took some time to get 00:08:21.350 --> 00:08:23.769 word to her, but she got there as soon as she 00:08:23.769 --> 00:08:26.670 could. Years later, she'll say that when she 00:08:26.670 --> 00:08:28.709 arrived at the mountain, she had a feeling that 00:08:28.709 --> 00:08:30.610 she wouldn't be able to get Garrett out of there. 00:08:31.430 --> 00:08:33.649 Again, helicopters were launched and they scanned 00:08:33.649 --> 00:08:38.070 the area and search dogs scoured the woods. Sheriff 00:08:38.070 --> 00:08:41.129 Dave Edmonds told reporters, quote, not even 00:08:41.129 --> 00:08:44.210 a trace. The main concern now is we have to assume 00:08:44.210 --> 00:08:46.429 we're searching for someone who is non -responsive. 00:08:47.559 --> 00:08:49.840 Up until this point, searchers had been calling 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:52.100 and looking for Garrett, and there had been no 00:08:52.100 --> 00:08:55.179 responses. The search area had been expanded 00:08:55.179 --> 00:08:57.200 greatly from where Garrett was last seen, and 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:00.500 still no trace of him. Searchers are now focusing 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.580 on searching for an unresponsive person, taking 00:09:03.580 --> 00:09:06.139 more care to check under brush and low to the 00:09:06.139 --> 00:09:09.620 ground. Again that night, as the search was called 00:09:09.620 --> 00:09:12.480 off, the temperatures dropped near freezing. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.600 On Monday, August 23rd, as news continued to 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:19.360 spread about Garrett being missing, hundreds 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:22.919 of volunteers came out to help, including hunters 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:25.919 and even the Spanish Fork High School football 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:29.559 team, where Garrett's older brother played. By 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:32.840 the end of this day, 36 square miles had been 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:36.600 searched, and officials began preparing the family 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:39.940 for the worst. Still, the Bardsleys held on to 00:09:39.940 --> 00:09:42.649 hope that they would find Garrett. and they would 00:09:42.649 --> 00:09:45.470 be able to bring him off the mountain. The search 00:09:45.470 --> 00:09:47.750 started to shift gears the next day, so this 00:09:47.750 --> 00:09:50.830 is Tuesday, August 24th. Garrett has been missing 00:09:50.830 --> 00:09:55.090 for four days now. The search turns more technical. 00:09:55.789 --> 00:09:58.649 Crews checked dangerous ravines and cliffs while 00:09:58.649 --> 00:10:02.009 rain and snow started to move in. However, that 00:10:02.009 --> 00:10:05.669 day, a searcher spotted a Nike sock on a steep 00:10:05.669 --> 00:10:09.309 boulder field about half a mile from where Garrett 00:10:09.309 --> 00:10:12.629 was last seen. Sheriff Edmunds said it appeared 00:10:12.629 --> 00:10:15.570 to have been wadded up after being removed from 00:10:15.570 --> 00:10:19.090 a wet foot, which was consistent with what they 00:10:19.090 --> 00:10:21.429 knew about Garrett, him having stepped into the 00:10:21.429 --> 00:10:25.389 lake and gotten his socks and shoes wet. The 00:10:25.389 --> 00:10:28.230 sock looked like Garrett's other socks. However, 00:10:28.429 --> 00:10:31.710 it's never been confirmed if this truly was his 00:10:31.710 --> 00:10:37.070 sock. On Wednesday, August 25th, Garrett has 00:10:37.070 --> 00:10:40.470 been missing for five days. and Wednesday would 00:10:40.470 --> 00:10:43.769 have been his first day of middle school. Garrett's 00:10:43.769 --> 00:10:46.429 classmates were very aware of Garrett's absence 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:49.850 that day. Back on the mountain, the search continued 00:10:49.850 --> 00:10:53.070 for days, starting at first light and wrapping 00:10:53.070 --> 00:10:55.909 up when it got dark. Professional search and 00:10:55.909 --> 00:10:57.690 rescue crews were working the rough terrain. 00:10:57.909 --> 00:11:00.529 The search also changed gears with each passing 00:11:00.529 --> 00:11:03.889 day. It became more of a recovery of a body than 00:11:03.889 --> 00:11:07.929 finding a lost Boy Scout. By Sunday, August 29th, 00:11:08.250 --> 00:11:10.389 Garrett had been missing for 10 days at this 00:11:10.389 --> 00:11:15.009 point. The search is officially called off. Sheriff 00:11:15.009 --> 00:11:28.049 Edmonds says, The Bardsleys were devastated that 00:11:28.049 --> 00:11:30.389 there had been no sign of Garrett and that there 00:11:30.389 --> 00:11:34.269 were so many unanswered questions. Kevin, Garrett's 00:11:34.269 --> 00:11:36.870 dad, wanted to keep the search going until the 00:11:36.870 --> 00:11:41.700 snow fell. Throughout all of fall of 2004, the 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:44.159 family organized private searches almost every 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:48.019 weekend until snow made it impossible. In November, 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:50.559 nearly three months after Garrett went missing, 00:11:50.860 --> 00:11:54.059 they held a memorial service inviting community 00:11:54.059 --> 00:11:57.799 and volunteers to remember Garrett. In December 00:11:57.799 --> 00:12:01.539 of 2004, Garrett's school, family, and church 00:12:01.539 --> 00:12:05.419 raised nearly $17 ,000 to build a school in his 00:12:05.419 --> 00:12:08.389 name in Ecuador. a place he had dreamed of visiting 00:12:08.389 --> 00:12:11.809 to help others. The Bardsleys also founded the 00:12:11.809 --> 00:12:14.129 Garrett Bardsley Foundation, which was dedicated 00:12:14.129 --> 00:12:16.269 to helping families find their missing loved 00:12:16.269 --> 00:12:21.649 ones. In July of 2005, nearly a year after Garrett 00:12:21.649 --> 00:12:25.149 disappeared, the family started to organize one 00:12:25.149 --> 00:12:29.230 large -scale search, and they said this would 00:12:29.230 --> 00:12:31.210 be the final one unless they found something 00:12:31.210 --> 00:12:35.000 compelling on the mountain. Hundreds of volunteers 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:38.000 joined, combing the mountain for days, searching 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.799 for anything, clothing, a piece of his fishing 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:44.679 pole, any sign at all. But nothing conclusive 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:47.620 was ever found, and the Bardsleys officially 00:12:47.620 --> 00:12:52.019 called off their search for Garrett. Over the 00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:54.159 years, Garrett's case would come back into the 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:57.100 media, mostly when other people got lost in the 00:12:57.100 --> 00:13:00.740 Unita Mountains. It's an area where others have 00:13:00.740 --> 00:13:04.320 gotten lost, but Garrett... is rare in that he's 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:06.419 one of the only ones who has never been found. 00:13:07.179 --> 00:13:09.299 Others have gotten lost and died on the mountain, 00:13:09.340 --> 00:13:11.759 but their bodies were able to be recovered after 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:15.360 a season or two. However, no sign of Garrett 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:18.779 has ever been found. So with that, if you have 00:13:18.779 --> 00:13:22.259 any information about Garrett Bardsley, or if 00:13:22.259 --> 00:13:24.480 you find yourself hiking in the Unita Mountains 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:27.970 and find something unusual, Garrett's family 00:13:27.970 --> 00:13:30.429 asked that you report it to the Summit County 00:13:30.429 --> 00:13:39.029 Sheriff's Office at 435 -615 -3600. So that is 00:13:39.029 --> 00:13:41.250 the missing person case of Garrett Bardsley. 00:13:41.730 --> 00:13:45.710 When I first came across Garrett's case, you 00:13:45.710 --> 00:13:48.490 know, I really couldn't help but think of another 00:13:48.490 --> 00:13:50.169 case that we've actually covered here before 00:13:50.169 --> 00:13:53.649 on the podcast. In episode 107, we cover the 00:13:53.649 --> 00:13:56.730 missing person case of Jared Negrete. And he 00:13:56.730 --> 00:13:59.750 was a 12 -year -old boy who went missing in mountains 00:13:59.750 --> 00:14:02.909 in California, not Utah. But he was also a Boy 00:14:02.909 --> 00:14:05.730 Scout and was also part of the Latter -day Saints 00:14:05.730 --> 00:14:10.289 Church. So they are similar in some ways, but 00:14:10.289 --> 00:14:13.190 obviously different in a lot of others. In Jared's 00:14:13.190 --> 00:14:15.470 case, in case you need a refresher or maybe you 00:14:15.470 --> 00:14:18.409 haven't listened to it, there was evidence found 00:14:18.409 --> 00:14:22.149 of him. They found his camera and were able to 00:14:22.149 --> 00:14:24.610 develop the photographs on the camera. And one 00:14:24.610 --> 00:14:26.710 of the last photographs seemed to be a picture 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:31.309 of Jared himself. However, in this case, Garrett's 00:14:31.309 --> 00:14:33.950 case, like I mentioned several times throughout 00:14:33.950 --> 00:14:37.629 the timeline, no trace of him has ever been found. 00:14:37.690 --> 00:14:41.129 No clothing, not the fishing pole he had, nothing. 00:14:42.250 --> 00:14:45.149 For me, some of the questions that I had in this 00:14:45.149 --> 00:14:47.629 case, you know, as I was reading through the 00:14:47.629 --> 00:14:50.409 research, some of it was just like, how rugged 00:14:50.409 --> 00:14:56.029 is it actually in the Unita Mountains? And, you 00:14:56.029 --> 00:14:58.690 know, I have never seen a boulder field, you 00:14:58.690 --> 00:15:01.509 know, in my life. So, you know, I started Googling 00:15:01.509 --> 00:15:04.330 these pictures and the mountains and specifically 00:15:04.330 --> 00:15:08.590 the Cuberant Basin, where Cuberant Lake is, where 00:15:08.590 --> 00:15:14.919 Garrett was last seen. and it is very rugged 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:18.039 up there a lot of hikers a lot of the searchers 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:20.620 even commented on how easy it was to get turned 00:15:20.620 --> 00:15:24.740 around there's not major landmarks and it does 00:15:24.740 --> 00:15:27.100 seem like they were doing a little bit of like 00:15:27.100 --> 00:15:30.240 off -trail camping and hiking so that also makes 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:32.759 it more difficult and it's very rugged terrain 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:35.919 out there it's very difficult to get around and 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.700 a boulder field I mean, it sounds exactly like 00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:42.039 it, just a field full of rocks. It really does 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:44.019 kind of look like the surface of the moon, as 00:15:44.019 --> 00:15:47.320 one of the searchers said that I mentioned in 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:53.860 the timeline. So it is very rugged, and it makes 00:15:53.860 --> 00:15:57.580 sense then how someone could go missing in about 00:15:57.580 --> 00:16:01.639 150 yards, even while his dad had his eyes on 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:06.019 him for a lot of the way. It does seem like there 00:16:06.019 --> 00:16:09.039 was a very slim window. We know that Garrett's 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:12.320 dad, you know, walked back about 15 minutes after 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:16.679 him. So it's a small window where he got lost, 00:16:16.860 --> 00:16:19.299 just very lost to the point where he couldn't 00:16:19.299 --> 00:16:22.840 hear people when they called for him or see people 00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:26.620 or find his camp. Some of the questions that 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:28.500 I have in this case, you know, if I could sit 00:16:28.500 --> 00:16:30.919 down and just know anything and everything about 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:33.299 the case and ask all the questions of everyone 00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:35.759 that was there. One thing I would want to know 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:40.679 is just was anybody else at the lake? Where were 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:43.179 everybody when Garrett went missing? So we know 00:16:43.179 --> 00:16:46.340 Garrett and his dad, Kevin, they are at the lake. 00:16:46.700 --> 00:16:50.259 But the Boy Scouts, there's, you know, about 00:16:50.259 --> 00:16:55.279 16, 15 other kids. Where are they during this 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.259 time? Are they also fishing? Are they at the 00:16:57.259 --> 00:16:59.299 camp? Are they doing other activities? Are they 00:16:59.299 --> 00:17:01.399 hiking? You know, what's going on during this 00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:03.840 time? Or maybe are they still sleeping? It was 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:06.900 around 8 a .m. Maybe Garrett and his dad, Kevin, 00:17:07.099 --> 00:17:09.920 got up early to kind of go do this special on 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:14.440 their own. We also know that there were six adults 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:16.819 on the trip. So again, where were all the adults? 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:21.319 What were they doing? And what was happening? 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:23.880 Exactly. I would just love to know everyone's 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:27.039 whereabouts. It definitely seems like there were 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:31.160 people at the camp. We know this because when 00:17:31.160 --> 00:17:34.000 Kevin arrives back at the campsite, he talks 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.720 to people and learns that they have not seen 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:40.039 Garrett. He hadn't come back through. So I know 00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:42.099 there were some people there, but again, I just 00:17:42.099 --> 00:17:44.619 wonder how many people were there. Did they see 00:17:44.619 --> 00:17:49.019 anything? Did anybody see Garrett? I assume... 00:17:49.210 --> 00:17:50.990 If anybody had seen anything, they have told 00:17:50.990 --> 00:17:55.710 police this by now, but it's just, it's always 00:17:55.710 --> 00:17:57.630 bewildering to me when somebody goes missing 00:17:57.630 --> 00:18:00.069 in a very short distance and in a very short 00:18:00.069 --> 00:18:02.869 amount of time, and there's no trace of them. 00:18:02.950 --> 00:18:07.549 Like, this is truly like he vanished. I would 00:18:07.549 --> 00:18:10.250 also be curious to know, just at that time, were 00:18:10.250 --> 00:18:12.670 other people hiking or camping in the mountains, 00:18:12.730 --> 00:18:15.869 rather? You know, outside of the Boy Scouts, 00:18:15.869 --> 00:18:18.599 were... Was anybody else there in the woods that 00:18:18.599 --> 00:18:21.299 they know of? They might not know. Really rugged 00:18:21.299 --> 00:18:23.140 terrain. Somebody could have been there and got 00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:25.519 out before they even knew anybody was missing. 00:18:25.980 --> 00:18:30.900 But I would be curious to just know if there 00:18:30.900 --> 00:18:34.039 were any other people there. And just what did 00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:35.960 they hear? Did they hear the Boy Scouts? Could 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:37.799 you hear people up there? You know, that's something 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:40.400 I would be curious about. Like, does sound bounce 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.599 around and make it confusing where it's coming 00:18:42.599 --> 00:18:46.779 from? Or can you... here long distances or does 00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:49.720 the mountain break it up I don't know I didn't 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:52.339 grow up in mountains I've honestly never been 00:18:52.339 --> 00:18:56.599 in the mountains at all so it's very like foreign 00:18:56.599 --> 00:18:59.160 terrain to me it's very hard sometimes for me 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:01.859 to imagine what it's really like to be in a mountain 00:19:01.859 --> 00:19:06.740 or a basin very interesting to me another thing 00:19:06.740 --> 00:19:08.339 just to kind of mention about these mountains 00:19:08.339 --> 00:19:10.819 and something that was kind of hard to wrap my 00:19:10.819 --> 00:19:13.500 brain around I mentioned it at the top but it 00:19:13.500 --> 00:19:17.369 is so hot right now where we are in the United 00:19:17.369 --> 00:19:20.450 States. So hearing about this case happening 00:19:20.450 --> 00:19:23.049 in late August, that's typically a pretty hot 00:19:23.049 --> 00:19:25.690 time here in the States. So it's hard to imagine 00:19:25.690 --> 00:19:29.650 an area where it gets near freezing when it's 00:19:29.650 --> 00:19:32.470 where I'm sitting, it's 90 degrees. But when 00:19:32.470 --> 00:19:36.460 I look at the unita mountains and just their 00:19:36.460 --> 00:19:39.359 weather today like it drops down into the 40s 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:43.200 so it does get cold the weather there is another 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:46.380 factor in all of this we know that the day he 00:19:46.380 --> 00:19:49.480 went missing rain came in hail came in and shortly 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:53.039 after snow started to fall so all of that really 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:56.559 made it difficult to find any sign of garrett 00:19:56.559 --> 00:20:01.859 i really hope in this case that somebody comes 00:20:01.859 --> 00:20:04.960 across some evidence of Garrett and the family 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:09.119 is able to get answers. I can't imagine what 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:12.240 it would feel like to have a loved one lost in 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:14.799 the wilderness, to kind of feel like you know 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:17.579 exactly where they should be, like he should 00:20:17.579 --> 00:20:21.700 be right here, and just not being able to find 00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:24.319 him, have hundreds of people and not be able 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:31.730 to find him in a very vast area, maddening that 00:20:31.730 --> 00:20:33.890 it's like well he should be close by you know 00:20:33.890 --> 00:20:35.529 when they first noticed he went missing it's 00:20:35.529 --> 00:20:37.890 like he should be close by how far can you get 00:20:37.890 --> 00:20:42.009 in 15 -20 minutes how far can someone get but 00:20:42.009 --> 00:20:46.349 in these mountains again and again I saw reports 00:20:46.349 --> 00:20:48.509 of other people going missing other boy scouts 00:20:48.509 --> 00:20:51.650 went missing in this area so it is very common 00:20:51.650 --> 00:20:54.430 for folks to go missing but like I said before 00:20:54.430 --> 00:20:58.029 they are either found alive which was the case 00:20:58.029 --> 00:21:01.970 with other boy scouts or their bodies do turn 00:21:01.970 --> 00:21:06.450 up later but I hope in this case that the family 00:21:06.450 --> 00:21:11.170 is able to get answers and closure or maybe closure 00:21:11.170 --> 00:21:14.109 isn't quite the right word I don't know if something 00:21:14.109 --> 00:21:16.470 like this ever closes in your life but just to 00:21:16.470 --> 00:21:19.920 have those answers and To know where Garrett 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:21.539 is, you know, if they could bring him off the 00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:24.299 mountain and lay him to rest somewhere where 00:21:24.299 --> 00:21:27.279 they just know he is, you know, maybe that would 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:29.579 be like really special or meaningful. But his 00:21:29.579 --> 00:21:33.259 family has done amazing things in his name. The 00:21:33.259 --> 00:21:38.039 Garrett Bardsley Foundation was active up until 00:21:38.039 --> 00:21:42.380 2019, but they were actively helping search for 00:21:42.380 --> 00:21:45.559 missing people. They would show up, they would 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:47.920 help organize volunteers and help organize the 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:50.940 searches since they had so much experience. So 00:21:50.940 --> 00:21:54.259 this family really gave a lot to others who have 00:21:54.259 --> 00:21:56.220 been in this position. And, you know, I talked 00:21:56.220 --> 00:21:57.900 about other Boy Scouts who went missing, but 00:21:57.900 --> 00:22:00.359 they were part of the effort that found a Boy 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:02.680 Scout after four days in the mountains alone. 00:22:03.299 --> 00:22:06.339 And just amazing, incredible work, incredible 00:22:06.339 --> 00:22:10.599 advocacy work for missing people and really using 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:15.359 Garrett's name. You know, just the like unfortunate 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:18.720 life experience and knowledge to like help others 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:21.000 who are going through the same thing. And I think 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:24.279 that's a really beautiful thing to, you know, 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:28.519 turn pain into purpose almost. Like that's really 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:31.779 commendable. And it was so cool to see the efforts 00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:33.940 that they did. So I hope the family is able to 00:22:33.940 --> 00:22:37.559 continue to celebrate Garrett and honor his memory 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:40.950 in whatever way feels good for them. I do hope 00:22:40.950 --> 00:22:43.349 that when somebody's up there camping, they come 00:22:43.349 --> 00:22:47.750 across some evidence of Garrett that we can hand 00:22:47.750 --> 00:22:50.269 his family and just give them a little piece 00:22:50.269 --> 00:22:54.289 of him back. But again, if you know anything 00:22:54.289 --> 00:22:58.190 about the disappearance of Garrett Bardsley in 00:22:58.190 --> 00:23:02.650 August of 2004 or his whereabouts today, or if 00:23:02.650 --> 00:23:04.730 you find yourself hiking in the Unitas Mountains 00:23:04.730 --> 00:23:08.279 and see something unusual, please call the Summit 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:16.880 County Sheriff's Office at 435 -615 -3600. I 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:19.220 just wanted to take a quick second here at the 00:23:19.220 --> 00:23:21.480 end of the episode, just if you're new here or, 00:23:21.500 --> 00:23:23.400 you know, maybe if you've been a longtime listener 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:25.680 and you're just wondering why I picked Garrett's 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:29.640 case, since it doesn't kind of fall into, you 00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:31.940 know, something nefarious necessarily happening. 00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:35.369 Again, This is Cold and Missing. We cover cold 00:23:35.369 --> 00:23:37.789 cases and missing people, and Garrett is a missing 00:23:37.789 --> 00:23:40.730 person. So I wanted to keep his memory alive, 00:23:40.890 --> 00:23:43.329 keep his name out there, and there's still closure 00:23:43.329 --> 00:23:46.670 that's needed for this family. So by my definition, 00:23:46.789 --> 00:23:49.329 it is absolutely a case that we should cover 00:23:49.329 --> 00:23:53.089 here and that should get attention. He's a 12 00:23:53.089 --> 00:23:55.049 -year -old boy that went missing who's never 00:23:55.049 --> 00:23:57.769 come home. I'm always going to talk about those 00:23:57.769 --> 00:24:01.130 cases. I just wanted to mention that in case 00:24:01.130 --> 00:24:02.809 you're new and kind of wondering what the vibe 00:24:02.809 --> 00:24:05.970 is I know there's not necessarily a crime element 00:24:05.970 --> 00:24:08.589 that happened here but I think all missing people 00:24:08.589 --> 00:24:12.009 deserve coverage even if there isn't you know 00:24:12.009 --> 00:24:14.670 a crime attached to their disappearance I think 00:24:14.670 --> 00:24:18.359 they deserve. to be talked about and to be looked 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:22.000 after and to be looked for. So that is why we 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:25.000 covered Garrett's case. We will have his picture 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:27.680 up on our Instagram at coldandmissing. So if 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:30.599 you're not, please follow us there. We post about 00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:33.640 active missing person cases going on. And also 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:35.880 if we need to take a week off, we always post 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:38.200 on there that we're taking the week off and when 00:24:38.200 --> 00:24:41.140 you can expect to hear from us again. So follow 00:24:41.140 --> 00:24:42.759 us there to make sure you're staying updated 00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:45.829 and just kind of in the loop on Missing cases, 00:24:46.089 --> 00:24:49.410 cold cases, we post a lot on our story. So please 00:24:49.410 --> 00:24:55.289 follow us there. 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I know sometimes the automatic transcripts 00:25:57.029 --> 00:25:59.390 that are popping up in podcast players aren't 00:25:59.390 --> 00:26:02.269 always accurate. So if you are looking for accurate 00:26:02.269 --> 00:26:04.730 transcripts, if you or someone you love is hard 00:26:04.730 --> 00:26:07.410 of hearing, you can find them at coldandmissing 00:26:07.410 --> 00:26:11.119 .com. But that is all I have for you this week. 00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:13.059 Thank you so much for sticking with Cold and 00:26:13.059 --> 00:26:15.119 Missing, for coming back even though we've taken 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.900 several weeks off. I appreciate you coming back, 00:26:17.900 --> 00:26:19.559 of being a part of your week. It really means 00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:23.059 so much. So thank you for listening. Have a great 00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:24.380 week and stay safe, y 'all.