Chippewa Partners
Banned
I thought i would share some threads from a great guy on another hunting site who lost a great friend. Here is a synopsis of what happened.
Was wanting fellow hunters to be aware that a friend is currently missing in unit 61 in Colorado.Nearest estimate he has not been seen since Thursday afternoon.He was to be elk hunting with his muzzleloader, search and rescue has found his wheeler parked and his muzzleloader in his camp,along with all supplies and truck keys.Would just like to wish him the best of luck and that search and rescue find him soon!
His family arrived today to help search for him,there in Colorado. Bob Heichel, we wish you luck and pray that you are found safe. Bob is from Washington State. Keep him in your thoughts,
Thanks.
Just heard from my boss and he said they found nothing today. They had 2 helicopters and between 75-100 guys. The guy is in some very rough country and is wearing desert shadow camo which will blend him in very well. All he had was his video camera with him. It has gotten in the low 30s the last 3 nights. All the guys are saying it is going to be a deceased recovery, but they dont think they will find him with the camo he was wearing, unless they stumble right on him. He said they covered a few square miles around his 4wheeler today and couldnt find tracks or anything because of the heavy rain all weekend washed anything away. They called off the search for the night but will be going back in the morning. Hopefully he was a headsy outdoorsman that has survival skills, but we will keep praying that he is alive.
Thanks for getting word out on Bob's situation. I trust you guys are making good time and ought to make it to the search area sometime early afternoon tomorrow. If I have this right, this next crew coming down from Washington numbers at about 20 and everyone ought to arrive tomorrow.
Thanks everyone for your supportive comments. If you knew Bob, you'd understand why so many folks are concerned about him - he has friends all over the West. You won't find a man any more honest or so full of kindness and encouragement.
If any of you able bodied hunters local to the area can possibly pitch in on the search, you can check in with the search and rescue folks at Nucla or contact the Montrose County sheriff's office for direction on how you can best help.
This is one of our brothers out here, everyone. Guaranteed he'd be the first one out searching if it was one of us. Please consider contributing to the search effort if you are at all able to.
Missing Washington hiker Robert Heichel was found dead in a scrub-oak canyon north of Nucla Wednesday afternoon, bringing an end to a search begun Sunday by the Montrose County Sheriff's Posse and authorities.
Heichel, 40, apparently died of natural causes after having been hit by lightning, possibly on Sept. 7, the day he was thought to have gone missing. He was found in the Burro Creek area, approximately 1 mile north and east of his camp, Montrose County Lt. Shawn Cline reported to Montrose County Undersheriff Dick Deines.
"We wish it would have turned out some other way, that he could have been found prior to now and alive," Deines said Wednesday afternoon just after receiving the news from Cline. He deferred confirmation of cause and date of death to the Montrose County Coroner Mark Young, who could not be immediately reached. Young is also a member of the Montrose County Sheriff's Posse and was flying a helicopter over the search area.
Rescuers made the grim discovery at approximately 2:40 p.m. Wednesday. Shortly thereafter, a family member ran out of the woods before collapsing against a tailgate with the words, "He's gone!"
The death was a blow to family members and additional rescue teams who had arrived from Washington State to search for Heichel.
"It was a pretty sad situation for the family, that's for sure," said DeeAnna Burbridge, who was visited by Heichel upon his arrival in the area Sept. 6. Heichel was camping above her property and had first met her last year.
He had called her a few weeks ago to let her know he'd be returning. "He thought about coming to this place every day. He was one of those warrior hunters at heart. If every man was like him, there would be no wars."
She said she saw him again last week, when he stopped by her house.
"Sometimes that's really typical of hunters when they come in by themselves," she said Wednesday morning, before Heichel was found. "They want to make sure somebody knows where they are."
When another hunter in the area stopped by Burbridge's Saturday, she asked him to go introduce himself to Heichel. The man returned to tell her no one was about the camp, which hadn't been disturbed, despite heavy rainfall Sept. 7 and 8.
"There should have been tracks, but there weren't," Burbridge said. "I called Bob's wife to let her know he'd been out overnight and asked if it was unusual. She said it wasn't."
Burbridge then sent a note to Heichel's camp with the other hunter, asking Heichel to stop by her home no matter how late it was.
"He didn't show up early Sunday morning. I went to check and he wasn't there, so I came back and called his family."
The posse began searching Sunday. Also involved were Cline, MCSO Lt. George Jackson and Sgt. Joe Scott, an expert tracker. Sheriff Warren Waterman was at the scene Wednesday, with 48 searchers from several agencies.
Other search and rescue agencies from San Miguel County, Mesa County, San Juan County and Grand County, Utah assisted, as did several members of Heichel's family and rescuers from his hometown of Stanwood, Wa. On Tuesday, a second pilot, Devon Felix of Olathe Spray Service joined the hunt. Two dogs and their handlers were also brought aboard, Young reported.
The last point of contact with Heichel had come in the form of a phone call home Sept. 6. Because no cellular signal was available in his camping area off of Road U, it was thought Heichel had driven somewhere closer to Nucla where he could pick up a signal. There were no confirmed sightings prior to the discovery of his body Wednesday.
Searchers found Heichel's camp intact, including his weapons and most of his gear. They later found his all-terrain vehicle a half-mile from the camp; by air, the distance was put at a quarter mile, Young said.
The terrain had hampered the search and Heichel was wearing camouflage, Deines said Wednesday morning. His body was later located near or under a tree.
Burbridge conveyed thanks from Heichel's father, Jerry. "He wanted to thank everyone who stayed," she said. "It means to much to them to hear they wouldn't leave until they heard he was found. They (searchers) were phenomenal. They kept going and going like Energizer bunnies. They just didn't give up."
She additionally praised the searchers from Stanwood, who'd driven straight from Washington Tuesday night. "All of them were just like brothers to Bob. There were other people that were on their way here today."
Heichel's body was being transported to Montrose Wednesday evening.
"He was an incredible person," Burbridge said. "I don't even really remember his face, but I remember his voice and I remember his presence."
Daily Press Photojournalist William Woody contributed to this report.
Was wanting fellow hunters to be aware that a friend is currently missing in unit 61 in Colorado.Nearest estimate he has not been seen since Thursday afternoon.He was to be elk hunting with his muzzleloader, search and rescue has found his wheeler parked and his muzzleloader in his camp,along with all supplies and truck keys.Would just like to wish him the best of luck and that search and rescue find him soon!
His family arrived today to help search for him,there in Colorado. Bob Heichel, we wish you luck and pray that you are found safe. Bob is from Washington State. Keep him in your thoughts,
Thanks.
Just heard from my boss and he said they found nothing today. They had 2 helicopters and between 75-100 guys. The guy is in some very rough country and is wearing desert shadow camo which will blend him in very well. All he had was his video camera with him. It has gotten in the low 30s the last 3 nights. All the guys are saying it is going to be a deceased recovery, but they dont think they will find him with the camo he was wearing, unless they stumble right on him. He said they covered a few square miles around his 4wheeler today and couldnt find tracks or anything because of the heavy rain all weekend washed anything away. They called off the search for the night but will be going back in the morning. Hopefully he was a headsy outdoorsman that has survival skills, but we will keep praying that he is alive.
Thanks for getting word out on Bob's situation. I trust you guys are making good time and ought to make it to the search area sometime early afternoon tomorrow. If I have this right, this next crew coming down from Washington numbers at about 20 and everyone ought to arrive tomorrow.
Thanks everyone for your supportive comments. If you knew Bob, you'd understand why so many folks are concerned about him - he has friends all over the West. You won't find a man any more honest or so full of kindness and encouragement.
If any of you able bodied hunters local to the area can possibly pitch in on the search, you can check in with the search and rescue folks at Nucla or contact the Montrose County sheriff's office for direction on how you can best help.
This is one of our brothers out here, everyone. Guaranteed he'd be the first one out searching if it was one of us. Please consider contributing to the search effort if you are at all able to.
Missing Washington hiker Robert Heichel was found dead in a scrub-oak canyon north of Nucla Wednesday afternoon, bringing an end to a search begun Sunday by the Montrose County Sheriff's Posse and authorities.
Heichel, 40, apparently died of natural causes after having been hit by lightning, possibly on Sept. 7, the day he was thought to have gone missing. He was found in the Burro Creek area, approximately 1 mile north and east of his camp, Montrose County Lt. Shawn Cline reported to Montrose County Undersheriff Dick Deines.
"We wish it would have turned out some other way, that he could have been found prior to now and alive," Deines said Wednesday afternoon just after receiving the news from Cline. He deferred confirmation of cause and date of death to the Montrose County Coroner Mark Young, who could not be immediately reached. Young is also a member of the Montrose County Sheriff's Posse and was flying a helicopter over the search area.
Rescuers made the grim discovery at approximately 2:40 p.m. Wednesday. Shortly thereafter, a family member ran out of the woods before collapsing against a tailgate with the words, "He's gone!"
The death was a blow to family members and additional rescue teams who had arrived from Washington State to search for Heichel.
"It was a pretty sad situation for the family, that's for sure," said DeeAnna Burbridge, who was visited by Heichel upon his arrival in the area Sept. 6. Heichel was camping above her property and had first met her last year.
He had called her a few weeks ago to let her know he'd be returning. "He thought about coming to this place every day. He was one of those warrior hunters at heart. If every man was like him, there would be no wars."
She said she saw him again last week, when he stopped by her house.
"Sometimes that's really typical of hunters when they come in by themselves," she said Wednesday morning, before Heichel was found. "They want to make sure somebody knows where they are."
When another hunter in the area stopped by Burbridge's Saturday, she asked him to go introduce himself to Heichel. The man returned to tell her no one was about the camp, which hadn't been disturbed, despite heavy rainfall Sept. 7 and 8.
"There should have been tracks, but there weren't," Burbridge said. "I called Bob's wife to let her know he'd been out overnight and asked if it was unusual. She said it wasn't."
Burbridge then sent a note to Heichel's camp with the other hunter, asking Heichel to stop by her home no matter how late it was.
"He didn't show up early Sunday morning. I went to check and he wasn't there, so I came back and called his family."
The posse began searching Sunday. Also involved were Cline, MCSO Lt. George Jackson and Sgt. Joe Scott, an expert tracker. Sheriff Warren Waterman was at the scene Wednesday, with 48 searchers from several agencies.
Other search and rescue agencies from San Miguel County, Mesa County, San Juan County and Grand County, Utah assisted, as did several members of Heichel's family and rescuers from his hometown of Stanwood, Wa. On Tuesday, a second pilot, Devon Felix of Olathe Spray Service joined the hunt. Two dogs and their handlers were also brought aboard, Young reported.
The last point of contact with Heichel had come in the form of a phone call home Sept. 6. Because no cellular signal was available in his camping area off of Road U, it was thought Heichel had driven somewhere closer to Nucla where he could pick up a signal. There were no confirmed sightings prior to the discovery of his body Wednesday.
Searchers found Heichel's camp intact, including his weapons and most of his gear. They later found his all-terrain vehicle a half-mile from the camp; by air, the distance was put at a quarter mile, Young said.
The terrain had hampered the search and Heichel was wearing camouflage, Deines said Wednesday morning. His body was later located near or under a tree.
Burbridge conveyed thanks from Heichel's father, Jerry. "He wanted to thank everyone who stayed," she said. "It means to much to them to hear they wouldn't leave until they heard he was found. They (searchers) were phenomenal. They kept going and going like Energizer bunnies. They just didn't give up."
She additionally praised the searchers from Stanwood, who'd driven straight from Washington Tuesday night. "All of them were just like brothers to Bob. There were other people that were on their way here today."
Heichel's body was being transported to Montrose Wednesday evening.
"He was an incredible person," Burbridge said. "I don't even really remember his face, but I remember his voice and I remember his presence."
Daily Press Photojournalist William Woody contributed to this report.
