OR MICHAEL BRYSON: Missing from Hobo Camp, Lane Co, OR - 5 Aug 2020 - Age 27

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DORENA, Ore. -- Search efforts have grown to find 27-year-old Michael Bryson who went missing early Wednesday morning.

Bryson was camping at the Hobo Camp Campground with friends last week when he wandered away from the site Wednesday morning and that was the last time he was seen.


The search is not isolated to just the campground and surrounding areas. Friends have deployed into cities all over western Oregon looking for any leads that could point them to where he might be.

His family said the longest they've ever gone without hearing from him is two days.

"It's very rare that five days in he would not have reached out to mom, dad, or sister," his uncle said.

The effort to find Bryson has grown beyond just those who knew him.

A facebook group with more than 2,000 members is dedicated to finding the young man.

The man's dad said Bryson doesn't know a stranger. He said his son was kind and friendly to everyone he met. He said he hopes that's the energy that brings him home.

A $10,000 reward is available for any information leading to his discovery, all which was donated to fuel efforts to find him.




MEDIA - MICHAEL BRYSON: Missing from Hobo Camp, Lane Co, OR since 5 Aug 2020 - Age 27
 
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Thank you all for your questions and interest! It's difficult to decipher all the comments on FB to get a good timeline on this case. There is a video by Rick Dancer, a local journalist, that I have yet to watch, but I hear there's good info on it so I'll watch and report later.

Here is one quote from someone who was there: " There was no altercation they were talking to him and his face went blank after that he said no one wanted him here. <name redacted> and <name redacted> said of course not we love you. Then he walked off the bus to get some air."

I've seen this report repeatedly and so at this time, I have no reason to believe this isn't what happened. It sounds like he may have needed sleep and had been partying, which led to his lapse in judgement.

I'm not sure how long the group had been there, but I've read that different people had been in and out. He does have a car, but I've read he didn't take it up there and let his cell phone in his car, which was at his home or a friend's house. I've read that authorities have the phone and I've read that his family has the phone. Either way, it doesn't appear the phone ever went with him to the camp spot.

BBM

It sure sounds like he was depressed.
 
Not commenting nor did I join. Just reading all the info. I hope they get answers and that he is found safe.

2 days ago many people seemed convinced he was in town/Eugene... There seemed to be some legitimate sightings and they felt he was only coming out at night. from what was said in these sightings.

So perhaps there is some hope.
Even though he went missing from a party, he is really wired in with his family. I just can't imagine him not contacting him, but hopefully he is out there and he did just that.
 
I've been wondering if the stories between the kids were different or if there were some kids who changed their stories. One you can figure would happen, but the other would be suspect.
than add hard partying and they might actually be a bit foggy on what really happened and the timing of it. They could be telling it as they remember it and the changing could be as clarity takes hold and the pieces start falling together in their minds.
 
I think it is okay to say, as they say it themselves in the video, and the mom did last night on the FB page, that they feel more must be known and has not been shared or at least that out of the number of people there someone must have seen something or know more. Also, reference is made to some "friends" being better friends than others and this is touched on the podcast as well. There is one post on the page some time back that someone remarks about his real friends versus the people at the party where they said none of his "close" friends were. There is some back and forth about it and it is a bit heated.

I only point this out as the parents themselves have touched on the same things so they do feel things don't add up.

There are so many posts, I never did make it all the way back to the beginning, I had to finally stop. I was left with some of my own opinions about a few at the party and they are not the nicest of opinions. I also once again realize what a different world I live in and/or how out of touch with the thought of such parties or drugs these days with that age group, and any parent with as well allowing such. And finally, I don't know how old any of the posters are but some of them come across a lot younger to me than late 20s or perhaps immature. Not all, but a few for sure. Others are very impressive and they seem to be the good friends who were not at the party. I also find a few very defensive and one mother is constantly saying to leave her kids alone, they are going through so much. This paragraph is only my impression and opinion and I own these remarks, not speaking for anyone else.

@Kimster I hope you don't mind my offering info from reading there--I am trying to carefully choose what I think matters and I read a ton so thought I'd share what stood out to me.

There is also mention that there was another bus there and other kids who left before anyone was questioned or before it was reported I think... Also allegedly, the shirt he is shown wearing was found at the campground so he did not have it on. There was also a blanket he had that was left in the bus that he walked out of upset for "air" as they say.

Everyone questions how they know he disappeared at 4 a.m. yet no one knows what direction, or many people do question that.

After all of the reading yesterday, I am left with nothing but sympathy for his family and concern for him, I don't have a bad impression there at all. I did develop an opinion of a couple of others who commented and were at the party though... It doesn't mean they are guilty of anything I guess but I found one girl very shallow and immature (and a couple of others as well but not as much as she) then there is an adult, or two... Perhaps it is just the fact they have to cover their own butts for the substances that were possibly present and the hosting of such a thing and/or their own kids doing drugs, etc. as do the kids have to worry about it too, and some may have parents that did not know they were at this party for all I know... Actually I shouldn't say kids, at least some if not all, are in their late 20s.
 
Recent post by the father:

Parrish Bryson
14 mins
Thursday morning, still no concrete leads. Every once of my being feels Michael is still with us. The only feeling I can’t shake, is that Michael walked out of camp at 4:00am on his own accord. We have had conflicting stories from day one. As information keeps coming in, we are getting more names, stories, and this is what supports my feelings. Someone knows something, reward or not, people are starting to talk. For those who have been up here, a big thank you. For those who can’t be, we feel every prayer!!! For those who have the nerve to say, “Michael ruined my party or our camping trip”, people hear you. That isn’t support, that just puts suspicion on you and your character!! For those who know something, we are closing in, it’s better to talk now than later. We love and appreciate all of you who are helping find our very loved son!

 
This was just posted and people are a bit excited about it. They are wide open public posts so should be okay to post. My first thought was why take so long to share this but then it sounds like it is quite a ways from the area or some fair ways anyhow and from another post, it is on the way closer to town... Time did not exactly fit either so she probably thought it did not relate...

Jennifer Gemmet
34 mins
I tried to write Parrish and Tina, but I am sure their inboxes are flooded so im posting here. I haven't spoken up about this because it didn't seem significant, but I live on row river, right around by the grange, so quite a bit further down then all the commotion, and the time doesn't exactly match up i suppose, but at around 3:45 ish almost 4 I heard a car load of people stop in front of my house and were making a lot of noise, it startled me because it set off our motion light because one of them was on foot running in the pitch dark passed my house and being followed by the car with multiple people in it, i went outside to see if someone was hurt because of all the screams and i heard multiple voices screaming and yelling one was a girl and she yelled "you're a ******* idiot get back in the car!" And then a loud voice of the man that was running screamed "helllll no!" And kept running and the car kept driving without him. I dont know if this situation has any importance at all, but I thought I would share it because any bit of information is key for your search right now.

 
Drone footage is so hard! I remember scouring drone footage for Sam Sayers, a missing hiker. And back in the olden days, photos from an airplane for Lindsey Baum. In the case of Sam, the drone operator was landing the drone at the end and I was so excited because "THATS A PERSON!" and it was the dang drone operator... But logs look like people, and rocks look like people, and trees look like people, and people look like...??? Much smaller than you'd think.
 
Drone footage is so hard! I remember scouring drone footage for Sam Sayers, a missing hiker. And back in the olden days, photos from an airplane for Lindsey Baum. In the case of Sam, the drone operator was landing the drone at the end and I was so excited because "THATS A PERSON!" and it was the dang drone operator... But logs look like people, and rocks look like people, and trees look like people, and people look like...??? Much smaller than you'd think.
I read on the FB page that they are going to try and use heat seeking drones. That was a couple of days ago, so not sure how that went.

Sounds like a dog is going in from Portland today. Hope that helps! I read that they had dogs out early on, but the freak rain we had last week ruined the tracking.
 
A bit of a long post but one I find significant. It says a lot by someone not connected as to what she saw and she says it with respect as far as the victim and family but with no sugar coating as far as what she encountered. From the same FB page as the others.


Jaymie McBee
3 hrs
Reading through this page, I have seen so much support, confusion and pleas for information. I do not know where Michael is. I just hope the information I know helps clarify some thing or help point things in a direction. . Please know that what I'm sharing is simply what I encountered or heard. What I know may be useless or repeat info.
I work with a company that contracts with the forest service. The area that Michael went missing from is on my route and I patrol it 3 times a week. For those of you that are not familiar with the area, it is a relatively quiet, remote stretch (approximately 7 miles) with a few small campgrounds and several camp sites alongside the road. One week ago today, August 6th, I was on this route. I had just had two days off and had not been up there since the 3rd. I was surprised to find the area heavily populated with people, traffic and search & rescue. The first place I stopped was at the top of this stretch at the Brice creek trailhead. (Approximately 1.5 miles past hobo camp) I was approached by a man who told me they were searching for a missing person and to please be on the lookout for someone appearing lost or disoriented. He gave no further description but his choice of words lead me to believe something may be wrong with this missing person. As I did my inspection, I realized, things were a mess. Trash, graffiti, feces, vomit...... I picked up as best I could and headed to my next location which was Hobo. At Hobo campground I was approached by several individuals. The first of which being Michael's father. Bless this man's poor heart. He was so incredibly distraught over his son's disappearance and the apparent lack of intrest from the people who were present at the time he dissapeared. He was overwhelmed and apologetic at the mess that I was walking in to, and all the cars blocking my way. I told him not to worry. I encounter messes all the time but was more concerned that someone was missing. I was givin a description of Michael (flyers had not yet been made) and I promised to be on the lookout. I spoke with a few others at this time as well. I was told that there had been a rave going on over the last couple days. I was informed that the headcount a Hobo camp alone was suspected to be around 65 people when family and police showed up but there was thought to be 100+ people in the area that had been at the party. How accurate these numbers are.... I haven't a clue. I was told that as the police and search and rescue came in, most of partygoers split. What I can tell you is the bathrooms were covered in vomit, feces, garbage, and graffiti. There were tons of bottles and cans, booze bottles, baggies and syringes. (This is NOT to say that Michael was or wasn't under the influence of anything. No one that I have spoke with has shared any information as to what Micheal had or had not taken.) Several of the campers left so quickly that I had to haul off bags, coolers and tents. I had seen both buses that were on site. The same buses that were said to be were Michael was last seen. One of which I was told went missing. I was told that there may have been some confusion and that Michael may have gotten off one bus and on to the other. Two different individuals explained the incident as Michael having what was thought to be a psychotic break or episode. Michael was apparently upset and felt as though he was not wanted on the bus and left. No one seemed to have any additional information from there. I cleaned Hobo as best I could and moved on to my next stop which was Lund campground. Lund is approximately 3/4 of a mile or so down the road. I was approached again by people at Lund. It was here that I was told that there was to be another "underground rave" the following night up the McKenzie and that some though Michael may have headed that way. (I kept a mental note of this. McKenzie is one of my route as well) The camp area and bathroom facilities were much of the same mess that I had found at Hobo and Brice. From there I went to Cedar Campground which is another couple miles from Lund. It was here that search and rescue had set up thier "hub". At Cedar, I overheard a conversation between a forest service officer and a search and rescue man about an altercation taking place before Micheal went missing. I can NOT confirm as to whether or not this altercation involved Michael as I was not part of the conversation but simply overhearing it. There were a couple girls here that were very clearly still under the influence of what I felt was likely something causing hallucinations. These girls talked about the rave, how good they felt, wanted to draw on the walls of the restroom and themselves, wanted to feel my arms and face and tried to take my license plate off my truck....🤷‍♀️ These girls were under the impression that they knew me and I knew Michael. One called me by Rebecca and thought I had left the party and come back to bring her cigarettes. She talked to me as though I knew Michael. (I was not at the party, do not know a Rebecca nor Michael and do not smoke. I found this odd though, because two days later another girl just down the road from Cedar approached me, called me Rebecca and asked if I had found Michael.)
From there my stops were less eventful. I came across several makeshift Teepees and odd collections of goods but was not approached by anyone else.
The following day (Friday August 7th) I was on my McKenzie route and saw one of the buses from Hobo camp parked near Cougar Res. I was shocked and sad to learn that Michael was still missing and here sat one of the 2 buses he was last seen on, presumably getting ready for the next rave.
I realize that my encounters on that day may not give any new information about Michael's whereabouts but I do hope it sheds a little more light on the situation and the mindset of some of the individuals who may have been around him at the time of his disappearance. Please know that I am not trying to upset family or friends. My intent is not to gossip or offend.
I hope that Michael is found safe and returned to his family and loved ones. I understand this is a devastating time for his family and all my thoughts and prayers are with them.
I have been back in the area several times since and will continue to keep a lookout for Michael or any information that may help explain where he is or what may have happened that night.
 

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