A young man in California is presumed to have gone missing while planning a treasure hunt for his family. Reports say that 21-year-old Hunter Lewis canoed out to sea to prepare the final portion of a treasure hunt that he had been planning for almost two years. After reportedly heading towards the island of Flatiron Rock from a Humboldt County beach on December 30th, he was never to be seen again.
Although family and friends describe Hunter as an avid outdoorsman and say he had both his pilot and scuba licenses, they are worried the waters off Trinidad Beach proved to be treacherous. A rocky reef makes the route he would have taken especially dangerous.
Hunter’s Family Says They Solved the Treasure Hunt But the Real Treasure Was Their Son
Following Hunter’s disappearance, a Facebook page was made to post any updates to the search for him. Hunter’s family previously posted in the group after finding a key that they linked to the treasure hunt. If you hold the key parallel to the horizon, it perfectly maps out Flatiron Rock.
The group is still active, but tragically, the search has taken a sad turn.
“At this point, it’s a recovery operation, not a rescue operation,” says Hunter’s father, Corey Lewis. “I am just hoping to find my son to return to his mother to bury.”
Corey also added: “We have just been hiking and searching ever since. We’re trying to keep moving because once we sit still, we miss our son. The real ironic, tragic, and epic part of this is he started this whole thing with an Instagram page and a letter saying that we had a lost Lewis family treasure that we didn’t know about off the North Coast. He’s that lost treasure.”
How You Can Help the Family
Strangers and community members alike are scouring the beach for any debris or any sign of the young man. Still, the Sheriff’s office cautions the public not to attempt diving in the area. Instead, they ask the public to leave the underwater search efforts to the professional rescuers due to the “extremely hazardous” nature of the area and “given the current weather conditions.”
A new Facebook post within the group reads: “A hard post to make but needs to be made. We are entering the window into which Hunter may wash ashore. If you were to locate him, please contact Humboldt County Sheriffs Office at (707) 445-7251 or 911. Do not place yourself at risk to recover Hunter. Remember not all beaches are safe to enter the surf. An appropriate agency will respond to assist when you call HCSO.”
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department continue their underwater search of the area but reported “no findings” as of January 6th. A GoFundMe page has also been started to help the family.
