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Bowhunter Finds Remains of Man Missing for 53 Years

idaho bowhunter finds missing manThe Lemhi Range (Photo/Denton Rumsey)
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On the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 17, the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office got a strange call.

While bowhunting in Idaho, a man stumbled across the remains of another hunter. They’d been there awhile — the man went missing in 1968.

Raymond Jones was last seen on Sept. 7, 1968. According to the local Sheriff’s Office, he’d been bowhunting for mountain goats when he disappeared. Severe snowy weather hampered an ensuing search, which got called off by then-Sheriff William Baker after 2 days.

On Friday, another hunter called the Sheriff’s Office to report he’d found remains. He was in the same area where Jones had disappeared.

“The hunter was seeking a shortcut from one hunting area to another when he found human remains and then contacted the sheriff’s office,” Lemhi County Sheriff Steve Penner told EastIdahoNews.com.

“Due to the lack of remaining daylight and ruggedness of the terrain, recovery efforts began on the morning of the 18th.”

When they arrived at the scene, Sheriff’s deputies found remnants of Jones’ wallet, which still contained his ID. Penner said authorities have contacted Jones’ remaining family members.

Jones’ family initiated the 1968 search, hiring a helicopter to sweep the area. The Associated Press reported that after Baker’s department withdrew its efforts, over 70 people remained in the mountains to keep trying.

The man who made the discovery has not been identified.

“It’s pretty wild, ain’t it? You have another bowhunter looking for a shortcut who stumbled upon a bowhunter from 53 years ago,” Penner said.

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