Items Found Belonging to Missing Adventurer Steve Fossett
A hiker discovered a sweatshirt, wallet, and identification belonging to Steve Fossett, the well-known adventurer who has been missing for over a year.
By Anastacia Mott Austin
A hiker near Mammoth Lakes in eastern California found several items believed to belong to Steve Fossett, the millionaire daredevil who was last seen in September 2007. Fossett was embarking on that September trip in a borrowed single-engine plane called the Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, which was owned by hotel magnate Baron Hilton.
His plan was to scope the area for a dry lake bed in which to attempt his next daredevil scheme: breaking the land speed record in a turbo-jet powered vehicle.
He never returned from the trip.
Fossett has been missing ever since, and repeated searches and attempts to locate him, his plane, or any other remains have been so far fruitless.
Hiker Preston Morrow was walking in an isolated, rugged area and found a sweatshirt, a wallet containing $1,000 in cash, and a pilot’s identification with Fossett’s name on it.
He turned the items in to the local police department, who then notified Fossett’s family.
A preliminary search of the area where the identification was found has been made but turned up nothing of interest. Further searches are expected to be carried out this week.
After months of searching for Fossett, he was declared legally dead by a judge this February.
The hiker has hired an attorney, who told reporters of Fossett, "He's probably been eaten. This is not the first time this has happened," said attorney David Baumwohl, who lives in the mountainous area. "When people land in alpine wilderness, there's bears, mountain lions that'll eat the body."
Fossett made his fortune by trading in the Chicago stock market. He gained worldwide attention after his many attempts to perform daring feats, such as the 2002 trip he made around the world solo in a hot-air balloon, and two solo trips made sailing across both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Fossett broke 116 records in various vehicles, including air balloons, airplanes, sailboats, gliders, and others.
He was also known to have competed in several challenging contests, including the Iditarod and the Ironman Triathlon.
Fellow millionaire adventurer Richard Branson, a friend of Fossett’s who had joined him on several of his stunts, told reporters at Time magazine that his friend was "one of the most generous, good-natured and kind people I have ever met, but also one of the bravest and most determined adventurers and explorers of all time."
A hiker near Mammoth Lakes in eastern California found several items believed to belong to Steve Fossett, the millionaire daredevil who was last seen in September 2007. Fossett was embarking on that September trip in a borrowed single-engine plane called the Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, which was owned by hotel magnate Baron Hilton.
His plan was to scope the area for a dry lake bed in which to attempt his next daredevil scheme: breaking the land speed record in a turbo-jet powered vehicle.
He never returned from the trip.
Fossett has been missing ever since, and repeated searches and attempts to locate him, his plane, or any other remains have been so far fruitless.
Hiker Preston Morrow was walking in an isolated, rugged area and found a sweatshirt, a wallet containing $1,000 in cash, and a pilot’s identification with Fossett’s name on it.
He turned the items in to the local police department, who then notified Fossett’s family.
A preliminary search of the area where the identification was found has been made but turned up nothing of interest. Further searches are expected to be carried out this week.
After months of searching for Fossett, he was declared legally dead by a judge this February.
The hiker has hired an attorney, who told reporters of Fossett, "He's probably been eaten. This is not the first time this has happened," said attorney David Baumwohl, who lives in the mountainous area. "When people land in alpine wilderness, there's bears, mountain lions that'll eat the body."
Fossett made his fortune by trading in the Chicago stock market. He gained worldwide attention after his many attempts to perform daring feats, such as the 2002 trip he made around the world solo in a hot-air balloon, and two solo trips made sailing across both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Fossett broke 116 records in various vehicles, including air balloons, airplanes, sailboats, gliders, and others.
He was also known to have competed in several challenging contests, including the Iditarod and the Ironman Triathlon.
Fellow millionaire adventurer Richard Branson, a friend of Fossett’s who had joined him on several of his stunts, told reporters at Time magazine that his friend was "one of the most generous, good-natured and kind people I have ever met, but also one of the bravest and most determined adventurers and explorers of all time."
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- Missing Adventurer Was Low on Water
- Steve Fossett and the GlobalFlyer Scheduled to Land Thursday
- Wife Asks Court to Declare Missing Tycoon Fossett Dead
- Fossett's Wife Wants Him Declared Dead
- Rescuers Scour Desert for Signs of Fossett's Plane
- Steve Fossett Reported Missing By Us Aviation Authorities
- Up and Away on the Longest Non-stop Flight
- Round-the-world Record Bid Under Way
- Around the World in 80 Hours
- Google Earth Allows Computer Users to Join Hunt for Fossett
- Hope Fading for Missing Aviator Fossett
- Record-breaking Aviator Fossett Missing
- Halfway Mark Near in Record Flight Attempt
- Balloon record-breaker lands safely in desert
- Fossett Drifts Quietly Into Record Books