i would feel super scared being there by myself, but great video, good job! , ! that case is so sad, kinda make people get obsessed trying to find out what happen with Garrett, i hope some day we can find answers
@@natalieramirez5166 Thanks for the comment! I go into the mountains alone all the time, but I have to admit that this place has a really weird vibe. I will always wonder what happened to Garrett. Maybe someday he'll be discovered, probably accidentally by a hiker. Such a sad story. He'd be 33 years old this year.
Thanks for putting this together! A few interesting things to note. 1. I heard when Garrett’s mom got the news he was missing, she knew he’d be gone. Interesting. Coming from his parent. She knew Garret, and she knew his vulnerabilities in that scenario. If the mom felt like that, does that sound like the type of kid you’d just say, “go trudge through that harsh terrain back to camp”? It was about a 5-10 minute walk, and difficult terrain. The mom’s opinion is telling about his vulnerability. With that certainty, he’s not the type you’d just say “go back to camp”, especially after you first see him going the wrong way. 2. It seems like the locations should be way more clear from the S&R perspective. You did a great job in the video & with your research. BUT, the dad is the only person with critical info (apparently the only one to see him leave the lake). Why is everything not documented in exact detail? Where were the EXACT locations? Where was he first headed? Where did he go out of sight? Where did you hear the “dad?” I know this was a while ago. But this case needs to explain more clear details, I wish it was clear on the exact info and the exact locations. Also, the dad should’ve said Garrett’s emotional state/if anyone was upset after slipping in. I’ve been a scout. If anyone slipped in the water, the leaders would yell, “Now you’ve scared the fish away!”. After slipping into the water, was he teary eyed and crying going back to camp? Those types of things are important. 3. Looking at the camp site from satellite, it looks less like a “meadow” and more like a swamp/pond with a hardened surface. If that’s the case, then those 12”x12” holes could seemingly allow someone to slip in. Looks like there could be sink holes, etc. 4. My theory is this: whatever happened, happened within minutes of him leaving the lake location. He didn’t wander around for miles or curl up somewhere. It was either 1: (less likely but can’t rule out), foul play, with someone very skilled, watching the boys over several days waiting for one to get separated, then hitting him with a tranquilizer (where the confused, “dad?” Comes into play) and using skill to take everything and leave unnoticed, Or 2: Walking back, he slipped into a covered shoreline that gave way, or a nearby sink hole with roots and branches, on the bank of the lake/river. Even the shore of a lake can be deceptively deep, with vegetation that grows and covers the drop off Or he got lost on the hill, spotted the tents, then cut diagonally to get back to camp, now careless about stepping in puddles because he was already wet, one of the puddles was more like a sink hole, in that marshy swamp area where the camp was
@@801matt2 Those are some excellent points. You've definitely done your homework. There is a huge segment I had to cut out regarding the dad, because I got a lot of hate for it. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. You've definitely given me some new things to consider!
@@utahsteveoutdoors All we can go off of is the info that’s out there, and it’s not that much. It makes me think Garrett might have started heading back, and the dad may not have actually watched him reach the trail. This would put the dad somewhat at risk of child endangerment and child neglect. However, with the greater good of finding Garrett, authorities probably cut a deal with Kevin (this happens all the time when simply trying to find answers) that they would not pursue any child neglect laws if he told them honestly everything he saw. I think that’s why the details get unclear. Because I think the truth between Kevin and the police is, “I didn’t actually see him make it to the trail back, I wasn’t watching or couldn’t see from all the way back there” The other reason I think the dad was probably guilty of some neglect is because some of the only words I’ve seen from the mom are, “we could have let this ruin our marriage”. Which makes it sound like there’s something she really didn’t like. Most likely, that the dad probably didn’t have exact locations where he last saw Garrett, which would have been frustrating. But based on what we know, the “dad?” means he encountered something kind of uncertain (like the ground giving way or the lake/shore line giving way), and by that might also explain why searches turned up short and why dogs could never get a trace.
It's amazing to take these trips with you. I've camped at Mirror Lake and Trial Lake a lot but never been in the back country except Lambert Meadows, Wolf Creek and Duchesne Ridge. When I watch your videos, I recognize places like Heartbreak Ridge, Marsell Peak and many of the lakes as if I've been there. I often look at the Google maps of those areas. I actually think I could avoid getting lost if I were in those areas by using Bald Mountain and Reid's Peak as a landmark compass. Thank you for making me feel like I've been to those places.
Wow, 20 years already! His poor family and his friends who were with him on that trip. So,heartbreaking not having answers. Since this is a long video, I'll be watching in bits & pieces... Great job keeping his memory alive.
Yeah, it's a long one. I'll probably never put one together like this again, but I felt like he needed something special on the anniversary. I can't imagine what this day has been like for his family and friends 💔
I kinda still stand by my theory that Garrett might have slipped under the soggy grass into a muddy bog of deep dark brackish water and drowned when he couldn't orient himself in the murky water as to what was up or down. I know those little dark deep pools that exist under the grass because my brother and I played around them in Lambert Meadows, not too far from there. We used to jump over them only to have the grass give way under our feet dropping us into a little deep pool of swampy water. Thanks for keeping his memory alive.
Having just hiked to Cutthroat yesterday, I can say this does make sense. At some points I had to use my pole in front of me so I wouldn't fall in a deep stream that was covered in grass. My questions though are why did the dogs not find any of his scent up there?
@@hilgi2003 how soon were the dogs brought in...before or after the rain? I've seen dogs lose a scent at the edge of water. As brutal as it may sound, Garrett could have slipped into a murky pond that turned black with silt and then disappeared into a deeper underground channel covered with a grass roof. That could explain him yelling 'Dad' as he went in. Kids will investigate these things when parents aren't watching cause me and my brother did in Lambert Meadows. Nobody would expect a dog to 'alert' on top of a piece of grass that appeared to be solid so they'd likely move on. If I had been there, I would have focused solely on those deep murky ponds and possible channels under the surrounding grasses. Those channels are there like caves and some are very deep. Years later, I was tubing the Provo River when the river made a swift turn around a corner near Deseret Industries. My tube tipped over and I was swept under the bank. I was rolling in the darkness and had no concept of what was up or down. I got tangled in a mass of stringy tree roots that were underwater. Luckily, the swift water spit me out. We wore Keds at that time...nothing fancy. When I surfaced, my friends dragged me to shore and my shoes were gone. I've not been back in that river since. Had I been alone and got permanently tangled in the roots, nobody would have ever known my fate.
@@hilgi2003 He wasn't in a formal camp. Several parents/leaders were with this small group of scouts. His father and older brother were there. You have to understand that they were camped at the edge of a meadow surrounded on three sides by low access. Above the meadow was the larger lake that had multiple campers who could hear the searchers calling out for Garrett. Another direction was back to the lake where Garrett left his father fishing. Garrett got his feet wet and it was 8 am when he headed back to camp to change his socks. Nobody saw him come back to camp. On another side of that basin is a hillside covered with rocks and boulders so there's only one direction he could have wandered away before cold wet weather set in that night. Garrett had had Scout training. I worked with an attorney at the time who went to church with the Bardsley family. It was heartbreaking.
Estranho foi o menino levar a vara de pescar para o acampamento sendo que ele, segundo o pai, tinha a intenção de voltar a pescar no lago. A vara nunca foi encontrada. Outro ponto a meia encontrada no meio da trilha que segundo a mãe era do menino, porém um adulto disse que era sua, pq diabos a pessoa tira a meia e joga na trilha??? Ou esse menino nunca chegou ao lago com o pai. Ou ele foi pescar, molhou o pé, voltou para o acampamento e nunca mais saiu. 😢
I love mystery and disappearance shows and since learning about Garrett's case, I have done an astronomical amount of research on this case. And thought of every possible thing that could have happened! Considering no clothes, tracks, scent, fishing pole or any minute spec of Garrett was found there nothing makes sense. 1. Kidnapping doesn't make sense. There is only one way in and out and the nearest road is 3 miles away. Trying to drag him out would be nearly impossible. 2. If dad did it, then someone would have seen or heard something. Also. motive? 3. if Garrett got lost then he could not have gotten very far. Since the search started so soon, I don't see him getting far enough away to be missed by all the searchers. 4. If he fell down mine shaft, then at least a scent would have been found. And you'd think someone would come across the shaft too. My Theory. Garret used the secluded area as an opportunity to escape a bad life. Who knows what was going on behind closed doors. Kids have left bad lives before. It's not an impossible thing to happen. Unfortunately, unless Garrett pops up somewhere or his remains are found the world will never know. I am hoping he's out there somewhere living the life he wanted.
I'm of the same school of thought. It's baffling. Originally, I discussed other theories in the last segment, but I was completely attacked in the comments for thinking such things. It was overwhelming, so I removed those segments. I still hold to my own (deleted) theory. Thanks for the input & great insight.
@@utahsteveoutdoors Question about this theory. If he used it as an opportunity to get away, wouldn’t he still have been found somewhere? And the dogs could have picked up a trace. This theory explains why the disappearance was so undetected, but I don’t see how this explains how he or his items were never found again.
This disappearance makes me really sad, thank you for covering it!
i would feel super scared being there by myself, but great video, good job! , ! that case is so sad, kinda make people get obsessed trying to find out what happen with Garrett, i hope some day we can find answers
@@natalieramirez5166 Thanks for the comment! I go into the mountains alone all the time, but I have to admit that this place has a really weird vibe. I will always wonder what happened to Garrett. Maybe someday he'll be discovered, probably accidentally by a hiker. Such a sad story. He'd be 33 years old this year.
Thanks for putting this together! A few interesting things to note.
1. I heard when Garrett’s mom got the news he was missing, she knew he’d be gone.
Interesting. Coming from his parent. She knew Garret, and she knew his vulnerabilities in that scenario.
If the mom felt like that, does that sound like the type of kid you’d just say, “go trudge through that harsh terrain back to camp”? It was about a 5-10 minute walk, and difficult terrain.
The mom’s opinion is telling about his vulnerability. With that certainty, he’s not the type you’d just say “go back to camp”, especially after you first see him going the wrong way.
2. It seems like the locations should be way more clear from the S&R perspective. You did a great job in the video & with your research.
BUT, the dad is the only person with critical info (apparently the only one to see him leave the lake). Why is everything not documented in exact detail? Where were the EXACT locations? Where was he first headed? Where did he go out of sight? Where did you hear the “dad?”
I know this was a while ago. But this case needs to explain more clear details, I wish it was clear on the exact info and the exact locations.
Also, the dad should’ve said Garrett’s emotional state/if anyone was upset after slipping in. I’ve been a scout. If anyone slipped in the water, the leaders would yell, “Now you’ve scared the fish away!”. After slipping into the water, was he teary eyed and crying going back to camp? Those types of things are important.
3. Looking at the camp site from satellite, it looks less like a “meadow” and more like a swamp/pond with a hardened surface. If that’s the case, then those 12”x12” holes could seemingly allow someone to slip in. Looks like there could be sink holes, etc.
4. My theory is this: whatever happened, happened within minutes of him leaving the lake location. He didn’t wander around for miles or curl up somewhere.
It was either 1: (less likely but can’t rule out), foul play, with someone very skilled, watching the boys over several days waiting for one to get separated, then hitting him with a tranquilizer (where the confused, “dad?” Comes into play) and using skill to take everything and leave unnoticed,
Or 2: Walking back, he slipped into a covered shoreline that gave way, or a nearby sink hole with roots and branches, on the bank of the lake/river. Even the shore of a lake can be deceptively deep, with vegetation that grows and covers the drop off
Or he got lost on the hill, spotted the tents, then cut diagonally to get back to camp, now careless about stepping in puddles because he was already wet, one of the puddles was more like a sink hole, in that marshy swamp area where the camp was
@@801matt2 Those are some excellent points. You've definitely done your homework. There is a huge segment I had to cut out regarding the dad, because I got a lot of hate for it. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. You've definitely given me some new things to consider!
@@utahsteveoutdoors All we can go off of is the info that’s out there, and it’s not that much.
It makes me think Garrett might have started heading back, and the dad may not have actually watched him reach the trail.
This would put the dad somewhat at risk of child endangerment and child neglect.
However, with the greater good of finding Garrett, authorities probably cut a deal with Kevin (this happens all the time when simply trying to find answers) that they would not pursue any child neglect laws if he told them honestly everything he saw.
I think that’s why the details get unclear.
Because I think the truth between Kevin and the police is, “I didn’t actually see him make it to the trail back, I wasn’t watching or couldn’t see from all the way back there”
The other reason I think the dad was probably guilty of some neglect is because some of the only words I’ve seen from the mom are, “we could have let this ruin our marriage”. Which makes it sound like there’s something she really didn’t like.
Most likely, that the dad probably didn’t have exact locations where he last saw Garrett, which would have been frustrating.
But based on what we know, the “dad?” means he encountered something kind of uncertain (like the ground giving way or the lake/shore line giving way), and by that might also explain why searches turned up short and why dogs could never get a trace.
It's amazing to take these trips with you. I've camped at Mirror Lake and Trial Lake a lot but never been in the back country except Lambert Meadows, Wolf Creek and Duchesne Ridge. When I watch your videos, I recognize places like Heartbreak Ridge, Marsell Peak and many of the lakes as if I've been there. I often look at the Google maps of those areas. I actually think I could avoid getting lost if I were in those areas by using Bald Mountain and Reid's Peak as a landmark compass. Thank you for making me feel like I've been to those places.
You are so welcome. I'm happy to bring them to you as long as I'm able
Wow, 20 years already! His poor family and his friends who were with him on that trip. So,heartbreaking not having answers.
Since this is a long video, I'll be watching in bits & pieces...
Great job keeping his memory alive.
Yeah, it's a long one. I'll probably never put one together like this again, but I felt like he needed something special on the anniversary. I can't imagine what this day has been like for his family and friends 💔
I kinda still stand by my theory that Garrett might have slipped under the soggy grass into a muddy bog of deep dark brackish water and drowned when he couldn't orient himself in the murky water as to what was up or down. I know those little dark deep pools that exist under the grass because my brother and I played around them in Lambert Meadows, not too far from there. We used to jump over them only to have the grass give way under our feet dropping us into a little deep pool of swampy water.
Thanks for keeping his memory alive.
Having just hiked to Cutthroat yesterday, I can say this does make sense. At some points I had to use my pole in front of me so I wouldn't fall in a deep stream that was covered in grass. My questions though are why did the dogs not find any of his scent up there?
@@hilgi2003 how soon were the dogs brought in...before or after the rain? I've seen dogs lose a scent at the edge of water. As brutal as it may sound, Garrett could have slipped into a murky pond that turned black with silt and then disappeared into a deeper underground channel covered with a grass roof. That could explain him yelling 'Dad' as he went in. Kids will investigate these things when parents aren't watching cause me and my brother did in Lambert Meadows. Nobody would expect a dog to 'alert' on top of a piece of grass that appeared to be solid so they'd likely move on. If I had been there, I would have focused solely on those deep murky ponds and possible channels under the surrounding grasses. Those channels are there like caves and some are very deep.
Years later, I was tubing the Provo River when the river made a swift turn around a corner near Deseret Industries. My tube tipped over and I was swept under the bank. I was rolling in the darkness and had no concept of what was up or down. I got tangled in a mass of stringy tree roots that were underwater. Luckily, the swift water spit me out. We wore Keds at that time...nothing fancy. When I surfaced, my friends dragged me to shore and my shoes were gone. I've not been back in that river since. Had I been alone and got permanently tangled in the roots, nobody would have ever known my fate.
@@lynnetterose5333 That I don't know. Also, who other than the father saw him in the campground?
@@hilgi2003 He wasn't in a formal camp. Several parents/leaders were with this small group of scouts. His father and older brother were there. You have to understand that they were camped at the edge of a meadow surrounded on three sides by low access. Above the meadow was the larger lake that had multiple campers who could hear the searchers calling out for Garrett. Another direction was back to the lake where Garrett left his father fishing. Garrett got his feet wet and it was 8 am when he headed back to camp to change his socks. Nobody saw him come back to camp. On another side of that basin is a hillside covered with rocks and boulders so there's only one direction he could have wandered away before cold wet weather set in that night. Garrett had had Scout training. I worked with an attorney at the time who went to church with the Bardsley family. It was heartbreaking.
Estranho foi o menino levar a vara de pescar para o acampamento sendo que ele, segundo o pai, tinha a intenção de voltar a pescar no lago. A vara nunca foi encontrada. Outro ponto a meia encontrada no meio da trilha que segundo a mãe era do menino, porém um adulto disse que era sua, pq diabos a pessoa tira a meia e joga na trilha??? Ou esse menino nunca chegou ao lago com o pai. Ou ele foi pescar, molhou o pé, voltou para o acampamento e nunca mais saiu. 😢
Well said. I originally had a whole segment in the video talking about those issues. But I got a lot of backlash and hate for suggesting it.
I love mystery and disappearance shows and since learning about Garrett's case, I have done an astronomical amount of research on this case. And thought of every possible thing that could have happened! Considering no clothes, tracks, scent, fishing pole or any minute spec of Garrett was found there nothing makes sense. 1. Kidnapping doesn't make sense. There is only one way in and out and the nearest road is 3 miles away. Trying to drag him out would be nearly impossible. 2. If dad did it, then someone would have seen or heard something. Also. motive? 3. if Garrett got lost then he could not have gotten very far. Since the search started so soon, I don't see him getting far enough away to be missed by all the searchers. 4. If he fell down mine shaft, then at least a scent would have been found. And you'd think someone would come across the shaft too. My Theory. Garret used the secluded area as an opportunity to escape a bad life. Who knows what was going on behind closed doors. Kids have left bad lives before. It's not an impossible thing to happen. Unfortunately, unless Garrett pops up somewhere or his remains are found the world will never know. I am hoping he's out there somewhere living the life he wanted.
I'm of the same school of thought. It's baffling. Originally, I discussed other theories in the last segment, but I was completely attacked in the comments for thinking such things. It was overwhelming, so I removed those segments. I still hold to my own (deleted) theory. Thanks for the input & great insight.
@utahsteveoutdoors the self disappearance theory is the only one that makes even remote sense to me. It's strange that others didn't like that.
@@utahsteveoutdoors Question about this theory. If he used it as an opportunity to get away, wouldn’t he still have been found somewhere? And the dogs could have picked up a trace. This theory explains why the disappearance was so undetected, but I don’t see how this explains how he or his items were never found again.
@@801matt2 could have changed his name and identity. Maybe friends helped. Anything is possible
You're clueless.