Oregonian here, avid hiker. There are no "mountains of West Linn," it's a town completely surrounded by other towns in the Portland, OR, metro area. The area Jerry was in was quite a drive from there, especially considering the 4x4 roads he traveled, and it's rugged backcountry. You have to factor in bears, mountain lions, and random gun-toting rural folk when you go. Schizophrenia aside, one good reason why he may not have tried to walk out was our Cascade Concrete. We rarely get light, fluffy powder you can just plow through with your body. More often, it's a thick, heavy, water-logged snow that saps the strength right out of your legs, even on snowshoes, and he was facing over 6 feet of the stuff. The guy was old, cold, and starving--that makes three miles seem like three hundred.
@@oliviaaddams3454 Thanks for clearing this up. I have ridden - by non-E bicycle: as far east as Cottonwood Canyon, as far south of west as Shaniko, as far south in the Willamette Valley as Eugene, as far south on the coast as Brookings, and as far north on the coast as Astoria. And none of the places I've been sounded as snowbound and remote as this video describes. Taken a couple of trips around the backside of Mount Hood when the snow levels were uncharacteristically low for a given winter, but I wouldn't call that remote. Marion Forks? Oh, I get it, Disasterthon keeps saying "West Linn" because that's where Jerry lived Marion Forks is almost on a direct line - as the crow flies - between Bend and Salem. I wouldn't call that "Eastern" Oregon, that's like maybe five miles west of the point on the Pacific Crest Trail just south of Mount Jefferson
Same. I heard, "the mountains of West Linn" and thought, wut? Umm...West Linn is not mountainous or rural. It's right next to Oregon City, Clackamas, Lake Oswego, Gladstone, etc. All very (sub)urban areas and it has the 205 freeway running through it. Those treacherous mountains of the Portland Metro area! Few have ever made it out alive! I think Disasterthon got confused with some of the geography of where Jerry was found vs. where he lived.
Well, even if he couldn't see the road (per se) he could have known where it was by the trees missing on either side along the way, wouldn't he? But he'd have left his only source of shelter had he set out and like you say, at that age and w/o provisions wouldn't have been a good option, either. I wonder how much his mental illness played a part in his thinking this adventure was a good idea. I would have thought he'd have left a note to his family when he realized he may not get out alive. Poor man dying all alone, may he rest in peace. Jerry McDonald.🌹❤
Also an avid outdoorsy Oregonian (as many Oregonians are), and had to look up where it was since I was confused by some of the wording. I think the fact this took place in Linn County adds to the confusion here (while West Linn, where he had a relative living, is in Clackamas County). I've camped on a lot of forest roads before, and many are poorly maintained or get destroyed by weather in the course of even a year. Many favorite spots become inaccessible due to a washout and you don't know until you get there, stuff like that. Although three miles to the highway (and another mile to Marion Forks) sounds doable to many people, we don't know his health or ability, or what it was like on that exposed ridgeline. My guess would be that he hoped at any time the weather would let up, and by the time it was apparent it wouldn't, he was probably quite weak. Or a health condition not disclosed by the authorities made that impassible to him. In terms of remote-ness, Marion Forks has only a handful of people living there (I wouldn't be surprised if there were fewer than 50 year round residents but I can't find census information). There's a fish hatchery and a restaurant, a few year-round residents, and mostly the rest of the population are folks with vacation cabins, I think. I find it kind of disingenuous that the "residents" who were "baffled" by the fact he didn't walk into town were actually from Newberg, not Marion Forks. These vacationers based this bafflement on the fact they have a vacation cabin there and go on walks even when there are a "couple feet" of snow on the ground. They were interviewed while visiting in May.
I heard myself saying “me too” when the narrator said he hopes he is in a better place. I keep coming back to this channel because they present in such a humane way. Very much appreciated
If you like these kinds of videos you should follow MrBallen. He covers the strange, dark and mysterious stories. He has a massive fan base and is the best story teller I've ever seen/heard
I agree wholeheartedly! 💕 The way the tragedies are told on this channel are done in a very compassionate way and doesn’t feel exploitative like it can sometimes on other channels with similar content.
I’ve lived in Oregon and have driven on roads that have been plowed where the walls of snow are three stories high. How many of us here are six feet tall or much over that? Think about trying to walk three miles to a town when the snow in one night is taller than you. Every survivalist training teaches to stay in one place if lost or in trouble. This unfortunate man was doing exactly what expert rescue teaching says to do. Just because he preferred his own company to others doesn’t mean he just threw in the towel and gave up on himself.
@@voccsaycee30 He likely wouldn’t have been too uncomfortable as long as he was able to keep some sort of water intake going. Some muscle cramping and stuff like that would be going on but he would be sleeping most of the time. The brain would have begun shutting down less essential functions as his body began devouring muscle and his internal organs began shutting down while at the same time increasing the production of endorphins to ease discomfort and he would experience intermittent stages of euphoria, lucidity and confusion. The brain does very strange but weirdly cool things when stuff like this happens. It is how the body has evolved to handle death.
@@Tadesan Your comment on another video about the Banzai Pipeline slide disaster was, “I bet they were all having copious sex with each other” I’m pretty sure you give off serious creeper vibes everywhere you go.
@@MrBushman123 Near the end of the video he talks about how Jerry's brother would always write him letters trying to get him to participate in family events. And Jerry's children and sister talked about how he eventually just disappeared out of their lives, but they never stopped wondering about if he was alive or dead until he showed up on the news.
@@oliviaaddams3454 but no one loved him enough to notice he was missing, or to look for him. More than a a month with food, then a month without food.... and it was still months before anyone passed by the truck. I like to think that at least someone in my family would say, "Has anyone seen Rick in the last couple months?"
His family didn't love him he hadn't spoken to them in years and was estranged from them did you not hear that in the very beginning? He was missing this entire time they didn't love him poor guy
Jerry is in a much better place. A place where you recognized him and shared his humanity with us. Thank you again for reminding us about recognizing compassion even in the medium of social media .
I can understand this man's journey for peace and solitude and wanting to be with nature. It's likely he didn't want to leave his truck which seemed to be his home. Although I can also see him believing that help would soon come. So tragic. Poor man. Great video.
I remember 2011. It was a horrible season for snow. Extremely rare for Portland alone, with buses sliding sideways down hills. I can only imagine how bad in was in the mountains. It's literally never been that bad since. There was no way he could have expected this snowstorm. It caught a lot of us by surprise.
Beautifully done. I especially liked the added information at the rnd. You could have just left that out and moved on but you didn't. Your videos are not about the disasters, they are a eulegy for the dead
I truly hope this man is in a better place. Thank you for telling his story and in such a nice way. People can know him and who he was and he shouldn’t be forgotten
His story about lonely life kinda reminded me of one woman from Mexico (I forgot her name) who loved cats and had many of them, but she also was trapped, but here in the house. No one helped her because she even didn't had anyone to contact with and after she died, her cats also died. I hope they both live in better place :(
I think her name was Mary. She got stuck in the attic down a gap and the cats starved to death in the home which is why people couldn’t smell her rotting corpse.
@@Vixyvix01 They will but there's only so long they can go without water and they won't eat decomposing flesh. We had a lady here who died in her house and her dog ate part of her but since it was several weeks until anyone noticed she was dead, the dog died as well.
Great vid! Jerry’s story was told with such compassion.💜Your content never feels exploitative, and this makes you a cut above the rest. Keep up the great work! Thanks for the well produced, professional content! 💕
One of my biggest fears is ending up in a position where I have no home...no one that cares...no where to go. Seems like a fate worse than death, really.
Eh, i’ve often considered how much easier life would be if I had no one to worry about or be responsible for. It can be lonely if you dont have the right temperament for it, but to me it sounds like complete freedom.
Dear Mr. Disaster, I am a new subscriber and I love your channel! Your voice is so soothing and even though I wear hearing aids and use closed captioning; I hardly need it with your channel because even with your accent, I understand you 95% of the time! Also, I live in Salem Oregon and I appreciate, so much, your pronunciation of our Willamette Valley/surrounding areas! Most people get the pronunciation wrong, even Alex from Jeopardy!! Thank you!!
Well that's a depressing way to start the day, glad you added that last bit; shows a little more insight into his life/struggles and who he was as a person.
I lived in West Linn for 20 years. I love your channel. I had to do a double take when I heard you were talking about my hometown. There’s actually no where to camp near WL. I’ve never heard of this case before. I stay up to date on our local news, as well as having many friends in law enforcement here. How sad, and how strange.
I found this channel by accident and ive not stopped watching your videos since! You do a great job and they arent too long so its easy to stay interested. 🎉
This is such a sad story, I'm glad his family loved him & tried to be there for him. It seems like he was just the type of guy that wanted to be alone. I hope he's resting in peace & his family are in my prayers. 🙏
@@michelled5037 there is literally zero scientific proof that god, heaven or hell exists. It’s all make belief, much like the tooth fairy. Sorry to disappoint
FYI West Linn is basically Portland. It's an affluent suburb. It is NOT rural in any sense of the word. It is smack dab in the Portland Metro area. No mountains. No service roads. No camping.
I assumed mental illness was a major factor in this. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life and even I understand you can’t just dig yourself out when there’s heavy snowpack. It literally just turns to ice, it’s not even powder anymore. It’s crazy he didn’t realize this when going anywhere that gets heavy snowfall.
Every survival guide I've ever read absolutely INSISTS that when you're stranded or lost somewhere, that you should NOT LEAVE THE AREA. Very often, people will end up getting injured or very lost if they try to go for help. If you stay put, it is usually much easier for searchers to find you, especially if you're near a large vehicle like this. This case is a major anomaly, ultimately, since under most other situations he would have been doing the right thing.
I have schizophrenia and this makes me so sad, I understand wanting to be alone, the voices mean you’re never really in silence. I hope he found peace in his final moments ♥️
That's a 108 mile distance between hiking in West Linn and ending up in Marion Forks. I live in Oregon and those two places are rather extreme to say are within hiking distance. And yes, I'm aware of the Pacific Crest Trail and others of such magnitude are within the area, but to think these two places are close, they are rather not.
i hope his family knows that just because he stopped communicating with them, does not mean he did not love them. people have problems. some problems manifest in termination of communication. RIP
If you cruise through a homeless camp or shelter you'll be sure to meet some of these drifters. All sorts of mental illness stops them from communication their situation or why they do what they do so they don't get much press. I was homeless myself for 7 years and Many of the people I met saw nothing abnormal about leaving the world behind. In turn their death usually refects their life, unknown. Much of it happens from a feeling of being unwanted, and from there they develop a mindset they skirts the line between reality and insanity. I've known plenty of these people personally. One in particular called himself 'pauli', I later found that to be a nickname but he told me that he wanted to see the mountains of the west coast. I called him months later only to find that his phone number was taken by someone else. Is he alive? Who knows. He's only one of dozens. Many of them learn to live solitude in life and to embrace it in death.
i grew up in west Linn and theirs no mountains their just a park Mary s young park. he must have gone out past estacada to the mt hood national forest?
This is soooo sad .. so he had no one to care for him or anyone to ask where he was. Poor Jerry, I just feel so sad for him and it was weird that he made no effort to try to get out of the area he was stranded in. Maybe when he knew he was stranded and trapped, he just wanted to end it all as he knew no one woulld ask where he was and would expect him home at a certain time and day. If anyone here has someone in their family or friends who dont communicate as much, then please get them to at least tell you if they are going somewhere like a holiday, hiking, camping etc as it could save their life and get them home safely. R.I.P. Jerry
Thank you for this, such nice respect shown. After I heard about the Hurricane Katrina victims being left in a room to die when the staff were overwhelmed atm, I thought back then...no one should ever die alone. But, omg, this poor guy couldn't have been any more alone than that. Not even a doggie as a companion? dang. This one hit me hard.
@@missbraindamage No, sorry, not from a video on YT, I'm old (in my 50's lol) and I remember when the T.V. news person said the hospitals were so overwhelmed from the hurricane that they just couldn't tend to all of them, so that happened.
There was a story about a family that had been stranded on a highway for 3 days. Even though there was a McDonald like 2 miles away. This was in summer and good weather conditions in area without any dangerous wild animals or elements. Ppl react sometimes strangely when they end up in a bad situation. Perhaps the poor guy though "one more day, and then...". But sadly the day never came.
This is heartbreaking in so many way. I wouldn’t know where to begin; however, I understand this. I pray that he is a peace. What he needed the most. Blessings to his family.
I thought this was actually a different story…..just pre-cell phones, someone got stuck (snowed in) in an RV on a road that was closed for the winter season, and due to a miscommunication, park staff thought the the road was fully checked before closing, with no one there. He kept a diary, initially had food for a month, then as time passed he wrote something like “I keep looking at the map, and this is about the only road between where I left and my destination…how can I not be found by now?” He also worked for a end hunger charity, and noted that he was now starving. He was found dead in the Spring as the road was re-opened.
Darn.... I live near here in Corvallis, Oregon. I go into the woods around here all the time.. I love going to Quartzville creek area at the foothills of the Santiam Pass, cascade range area. This is a sad case..
I'm so sorry for Jerry. I'm sorry he lived a lonely, probably sad life. Him being schizophrenic might explain why he stayed where he was instead of going for help. If he was sick, he might not have been thinking clearly. It also sounds like he had no interest in going to any people. I hope he's in a better place too. Thanks for telling his story.
I don't know how to say this without it being wrong in some way but even though they're true life horror stories of what they went through etc, I love watching these & mountain stories which is doom & gloom but how it gives hope that you could possibly do it to if in that situation, great video as always & keep up the good work your doing. X😎🐘🇬🇧
This one hit me hard... thinking of how lonely he must've felt during that time... stuck with only your thoughts and regrets... having to face the realization that, if I die out here, noone will even know, nobody is even going to notice my absence, I'm just disposable and haven't made an impact on anyones life enough that anyone cares about me. That had to have been so tough, not even a dog around for companionship 💔😣
I am the same way and in pretty much the same situation. My social life is twitter and it’s apparent that if I’m off twitter, my twitter “friends” don’t notice. I have severe PTSD and face to face social interactions are not fun. I own a home and 5 acres of Oregon woods but to help out a destitute family I rented it to them for well below market value while I traveled. When Covid hit I came back and told them they needed to make other living arrangements but instead of leaving they just stopped paying rent. That was more than two years ago and they are still there. My state tenancy laws are strongly tilted towards the tenant and it would cost me several thousands of dollars to finance a long term legal battle. I live in my RV and once had a medical emergency, a perforated ulcer. I was in the hospital for a week and even the woman I rent land from to park my RV didn’t know I was gone though her house is maybe 100’ from my RV in a direct line of site. I can stay in National Forests for free because I’m a disabled veteran, Viet Nam era. I am totally estranged from my family and cannot interact with them. Basically I am just waiting to die and given the bend towards authoritarianism in our country I am patiently looking forward to death so I won’t have to endure the coming turmoil. I will probably get some responses here of encouragement and sympathy. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I may get some offering suggestions like I haven’t spent the last two years exhausting options. Since the Trump mindset has invaded American culture I really don’t want to be here anymore. I have no progeny so fuck it. You all can live with it.
I work in a small office where we locate family for people who died all alone. Mental illness plays a huge part in people being apart from their families. This case reminded me of a man who died in our city and the rest of his family was on the other side of the country. They weren't aware he had left. I spoke to a family member after we located them who said he used to see him around in the places he'd stay on the street and he'd try to offer help but the guy was schizophrenic and interpreted those offers as threats of harm. Eventually he had to stop trying to help because it would only push him away more. It sounds like Jerry wouldn't accept help from his family either. And there's nothing you can do for someone who rejects everything you try to do for them.
I know I'm super late to replying to this comment but I'm new to the channel and I just want to say thank you for what you do first off, it brings me a little bit of peace that there are people out there doing work such as yours and secondly, your story is a great example of one of the huge problems with homelessness and mental health that some people are completely oblivious of. They're traumatized and vulnerable and scared, so sometimes even if people are there trying to help them, they have no trust left in their heart. That's one of the biggest problems with shelters and government and state funded help expecially... They always think it comes with a huge cost, like someone is trying to hurt them and this distrust poisons their relationship with people they previously had trusted as well... They don't want to eat the food because what if the state is trying to poison them? They don't want to get the medical care because what if they do something that completely destroys their life and they can't get anyone to listen because everyone just dismissed them their entire lives? I don't have a solution to this problem by any means but I think it's something we should all be considering when talking about the homeless crisis and mental health crisis and something I rarely hear talked about. Keep being a guardian angel to these people who have no one to turn to, I promise you, your work makes a huge difference.
This reminds me of Linda Bishop's story. She spent months surviving off of apples and water during a harsh winter while help was near. They made a documentary about her called God Knows Where I Am.
Oh this just breaks my heart. He had a disease of the mind. Mental disability is a horrid thing to live with! I was diagnosed with bipolar in 2001 and I've had my ups and downs and some people just can't come back from it. I now take meds for it but you never know when your mind and body will reject that help of a little pill. Sometimes those little pills are useless. Bless his heart. Maybe in his mind he thought no one wanted to be around him. Your brain along with the devil can play tricks. I don't care for those little games but we are all subject to this, not one person is safe unless you're dead. May he rest in peace now 🙏🏼✌🏻
Pls talk about the indonesian family in jakarta who got trapped in a 2x2 bathroom with their maids and driver when the house was robbed. Half of them died it was so traumatizing hearing about it back then
I live and am from West Linn and have never heard of this…that’s really weird. Also west linn is a city in the middle of cities, only 10 minutes from Portland. It’s not at all in the woods you can’t even camp there, anywhere.
I mean… He wrote on the calendar that he was trying to dig his truck out? So he actually did try to get out it wasn’t that he didn’t. 3 miles drive is completely different from a 3 mile walk in 6 foot of snow as an old man.
Oregonian here, avid hiker. There are no "mountains of West Linn," it's a town completely surrounded by other towns in the Portland, OR, metro area. The area Jerry was in was quite a drive from there, especially considering the 4x4 roads he traveled, and it's rugged backcountry. You have to factor in bears, mountain lions, and random gun-toting rural folk when you go.
Schizophrenia aside, one good reason why he may not have tried to walk out was our Cascade Concrete. We rarely get light, fluffy powder you can just plow through with your body. More often, it's a thick, heavy, water-logged snow that saps the strength right out of your legs, even on snowshoes, and he was facing over 6 feet of the stuff. The guy was old, cold, and starving--that makes three miles seem like three hundred.
@@oliviaaddams3454 Thanks for clearing this up.
I have ridden - by non-E bicycle: as far east as Cottonwood Canyon, as far south of west as Shaniko, as far south in the Willamette Valley as Eugene, as far south on the coast as Brookings, and as far north on the coast as Astoria.
And none of the places I've been sounded as snowbound and remote as this video describes. Taken a couple of trips around the backside of Mount Hood when the snow levels were uncharacteristically low for a given winter, but I wouldn't call that remote.
Marion Forks?
Oh, I get it, Disasterthon keeps saying "West Linn" because that's where Jerry lived
Marion Forks is almost on a direct line - as the crow flies - between Bend and Salem.
I wouldn't call that "Eastern" Oregon, that's like maybe five miles west of the point on the Pacific Crest Trail just south of Mount Jefferson
Same. I heard, "the mountains of West Linn" and thought, wut? Umm...West Linn is not mountainous or rural. It's right next to Oregon City, Clackamas, Lake Oswego, Gladstone, etc. All very (sub)urban areas and it has the 205 freeway running through it. Those treacherous mountains of the Portland Metro area! Few have ever made it out alive! I think Disasterthon got confused with some of the geography of where Jerry was found vs. where he lived.
Well, even if he couldn't see the road (per se) he could have known where it was by the trees missing on either side along the way, wouldn't he? But he'd have left his only source of shelter had he set out and like you say, at that age and w/o provisions wouldn't have been a good option, either.
I wonder how much his mental illness played a part in his thinking this adventure was a good idea. I would have thought he'd have left a note to his family when he realized he may not get out alive. Poor man dying all alone, may he rest in peace. Jerry McDonald.🌹❤
Yeah I wish the presenter was a lil clearer about the locations. Living in Portland and growing up in the valley I was like what where?
Also an avid outdoorsy Oregonian (as many Oregonians are), and had to look up where it was since I was confused by some of the wording. I think the fact this took place in Linn County adds to the confusion here (while West Linn, where he had a relative living, is in Clackamas County).
I've camped on a lot of forest roads before, and many are poorly maintained or get destroyed by weather in the course of even a year. Many favorite spots become inaccessible due to a washout and you don't know until you get there, stuff like that. Although three miles to the highway (and another mile to Marion Forks) sounds doable to many people, we don't know his health or ability, or what it was like on that exposed ridgeline.
My guess would be that he hoped at any time the weather would let up, and by the time it was apparent it wouldn't, he was probably quite weak. Or a health condition not disclosed by the authorities made that impassible to him.
In terms of remote-ness, Marion Forks has only a handful of people living there (I wouldn't be surprised if there were fewer than 50 year round residents but I can't find census information). There's a fish hatchery and a restaurant, a few year-round residents, and mostly the rest of the population are folks with vacation cabins, I think.
I find it kind of disingenuous that the "residents" who were "baffled" by the fact he didn't walk into town were actually from Newberg, not Marion Forks. These vacationers based this bafflement on the fact they have a vacation cabin there and go on walks even when there are a "couple feet" of snow on the ground. They were interviewed while visiting in May.
I heard myself saying “me too” when the narrator said he hopes he is in a better place. I keep coming back to this channel because they present in such a humane way. Very much appreciated
If you like these kinds of videos you should follow MrBallen. He covers the strange, dark and mysterious stories. He has a massive fan base and is the best story teller I've ever seen/heard
Yep. He is fantastic too !
I agree wholeheartedly! 💕 The way the tragedies are told on this channel are done in a very compassionate way and doesn’t feel exploitative like it can sometimes on other channels with similar content.
I just nodded my head🥺
Where would that better place be?
I’ve lived in Oregon and have driven on roads that have been plowed where the walls of snow are three stories high. How many of us here are six feet tall or much over that? Think about trying to walk three miles to a town when the snow in one night is taller than you. Every survivalist training teaches to stay in one place if lost or in trouble. This unfortunate man was doing exactly what expert rescue teaching says to do. Just because he preferred his own company to others doesn’t mean he just threw in the towel and gave up on himself.
What a sad story. Such a terrible and preventable tragedy. Heartbreaking. Thank you for honoring this man’s life. ♥️😢
Well said Tara !💯✌️
@@judymotto1970 Thank you ❤️
He should of waited till the weather was better.
Hope to see more videos on forgotten preventable tragedies
He has a kind face. I’m going believe he fell asleep comfortably and passed on in his sleep.
Not sure anyone dies of starvation comfortably
❤
@@voccsaycee30 He likely wouldn’t have been too uncomfortable as long as he was able to keep some sort of water intake going.
Some muscle cramping and stuff like that would be going on but he would be sleeping most of the time.
The brain would have begun shutting down less essential functions as his body began devouring muscle and his internal organs began shutting down while at the same time increasing the production of endorphins to ease discomfort and he would experience intermittent stages of euphoria, lucidity and confusion.
The brain does very strange but weirdly cool things when stuff like this happens.
It is how the body has evolved to handle death.
That's BS. You see a lonely white man and you think creeper.
@@Tadesan Your comment on another video about the Banzai Pipeline slide disaster was, “I bet they were all having copious sex with each other”
I’m pretty sure you give off serious creeper vibes everywhere you go.
Sad story. I’m glad to hear he did have a family who loved him, and never gave up looking for him. I hope Jerry knew that.
Where did you hear that? i missed that part...
@@MrBushman123 Near the end of the video he talks about how Jerry's brother would always write him letters trying to get him to participate in family events. And Jerry's children and sister talked about how he eventually just disappeared out of their lives, but they never stopped wondering about if he was alive or dead until he showed up on the news.
@@oliviaaddams3454 but no one loved him enough to notice he was missing, or to look for him. More than a a month with food, then a month without food.... and it was still months before anyone passed by the truck. I like to think that at least someone in my family would say, "Has anyone seen Rick in the last couple months?"
His family didn't love him he hadn't spoken to them in years and was estranged from them did you not hear that in the very beginning? He was missing this entire time they didn't love him poor guy
@@thebeagles2025 It said that he hasn’t spoken to them in years, I’m not surprised they nobody really noticed anything for a month.
Jerry is in a much better place. A place where you recognized him and shared his humanity with us. Thank you again for reminding us about recognizing compassion even in the medium of social media .
I can understand this man's journey for peace and solitude and wanting to be with nature. It's likely he didn't want to leave his truck which seemed to be his home. Although I can also see him believing that help would soon come. So tragic. Poor man. Great video.
I remember 2011. It was a horrible season for snow. Extremely rare for Portland alone, with buses sliding sideways down hills. I can only imagine how bad in was in the mountains. It's literally never been that bad since. There was no way he could have expected this snowstorm. It caught a lot of us by surprise.
Thank you for treating each victim with respect. I keep coming back because you treat these stories with respect and dont sensationalize them.
Beautifully done. I especially liked the added information at the rnd. You could have just left that out and moved on but you didn't. Your videos are not about the disasters, they are a eulegy for the dead
I truly hope this man is in a better place. Thank you for telling his story and in such a nice way. People can know him and who he was and he shouldn’t be forgotten
His story about lonely life kinda reminded me of one woman from Mexico (I forgot her name) who loved cats and had many of them, but she also was trapped, but here in the house. No one helped her because she even didn't had anyone to contact with and after she died, her cats also died. I hope they both live in better place :(
I'm surprised the cats didn't eat her tbh, that's what they tend to do when an owner dies and lays undiscovered
I think her name was Mary. She got stuck in the attic down a gap and the cats starved to death in the home which is why people couldn’t smell her rotting corpse.
@@Vixyvix01 They will but there's only so long they can go without water and they won't eat decomposing flesh. We had a lady here who died in her house and her dog ate part of her but since it was several weeks until anyone noticed she was dead, the dog died as well.
Great vid! Jerry’s story was told with such compassion.💜Your content never feels exploitative, and this makes you a cut above the rest. Keep up the great work! Thanks for the well produced, professional content! 💕
Thanks:)
Yes 💯
Poor guy. He was where he wanted to be. Still tragic.
I think you are spot on. He might have been ready to go. He chose the death he wanted.
One of my biggest fears is ending up in a position where I have no home...no one that cares...no where to go. Seems like a fate worse than death, really.
Just bloom where you are planted.🌸
@@SunshinesART what a great line! love that🙏🏻
When you live like that, sometimes, death does not seem so horrible.
Eh, i’ve often considered how much easier life would be if I had no one to worry about or be responsible for. It can be lonely if you dont have the right temperament for it, but to me it sounds like complete freedom.
I have been in that position..not now thank God I have found a loving man.
Totally understand. im 54 and a loner myself. im VERY content with nature's company here in central rural Maryland.
Dear Mr. Disaster, I am a new subscriber and I love your channel! Your voice is so soothing and even though I wear hearing aids and use closed captioning; I hardly need it with your channel because even with your accent, I understand you 95% of the time! Also, I live in Salem Oregon and I appreciate, so much, your pronunciation of our Willamette Valley/surrounding areas! Most people get the pronunciation wrong, even Alex from Jeopardy!! Thank you!!
Love when you're watching these videos and they start talking about your hometown....😳
Well that's a depressing way to start the day, glad you added that last bit; shows a little more insight into his life/struggles and who he was as a person.
I lived in West Linn for 20 years. I love your channel. I had to do a double take when I heard you were talking about my hometown. There’s actually no where to camp near WL. I’ve never heard of this case before. I stay up to date on our local news, as well as having many friends in law enforcement here. How sad, and how strange.
same hear i lived on jollie pt road for the first 20 yrs of my life.
I grew up in West Linn too and was confused. I do appreciate the coverage and respect given.
Have you ever been in the presence of "The American Gangster", Chael P Sonnen?
My new favourite channel ❤️thank you for covering unheard cases they all matter ❤🥺
Thank you for your stories. You have a compassionate soul and it comes through in your voice.
I’m very much enjoying your channel & videos, young man. Well done & keep it up.
Thanks for telling his story man. I feel really bad for the guy. Seems like he was just dealt some bad cards in life. RIP Jerry ✊🏽☮️
❤️🩹
Just found and subscribed to your channel. Great story telling with respect to the person in them. Rest In Peace, Jerry.
Thanks❤️
I hope he was happy in his last days, hopefully it was peaceful. thankyou from Canada!
I found this channel by accident and ive not stopped watching your videos since! You do a great job and they arent too long so its easy to stay interested. 🎉
This is such a sad story, I'm glad his family loved him & tried to be there for him. It seems like he was just the type of guy that wanted to be alone. I hope he's resting in peace & his family are in my prayers. 🙏
Thanks for the content
Love your vids bro ! Good to see you back !
Thanks for covering cases that haven't already been covered 1000 times! 😘🥰
Ofcourse :) I’ve just uploaded a very obscure one
Beautifully done Thank you xxx
So sad 😞 😥
Thanks for the upload ❤
Absolutely love the channel and content and how respectable you are to these victims and their families
It’s sad to hear how lonely some souls become, and the harsh reality of it. I hope that he did not suffer
You did a fantastic job with Jerry's story !! You deserve a lot of respect for how you handled Jerry's and so many others sad and terrible ends !
That is sooo sad 😥 rip Jerry! He is probably happier now.
No, he feels what he felt for the last billions of years except for the years he lived: nothing.
@@bepowerification nope, I believe in Jesus and that he is in heaven. Also, he hasnt been alive for billions of years.
@@michelled5037 there is literally zero scientific proof that god, heaven or hell exists. It’s all make belief, much like the tooth fairy. Sorry to disappoint
@@brianswathey you didn't disappoint. My beliefs are my beliefs.
He's dead
That's close to me, crazy I never heard about it. Thanks for the video!
Rest in Peace Jerry. May you be remembered forever. Respects from 🇨🇦🙏
Although a sad case it is interesting and it's great to learn about lesser known cases, thanks 👍
FYI West Linn is basically Portland. It's an affluent suburb. It is NOT rural in any sense of the word. It is smack dab in the Portland Metro area. No mountains. No service roads. No camping.
I assumed mental illness was a major factor in this. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life and even I understand you can’t just dig yourself out when there’s heavy snowpack. It literally just turns to ice, it’s not even powder anymore. It’s crazy he didn’t realize this when going anywhere that gets heavy snowfall.
Yesterday was 21 years since singer Aaliyah passed away. Could you make a video about the tragic death of Aaliyah? Because that one still shocks me.
Every survival guide I've ever read absolutely INSISTS that when you're stranded or lost somewhere, that you should NOT LEAVE THE AREA. Very often, people will end up getting injured or very lost if they try to go for help. If you stay put, it is usually much easier for searchers to find you, especially if you're near a large vehicle like this. This case is a major anomaly, ultimately, since under most other situations he would have been doing the right thing.
I have schizophrenia and this makes me so sad, I understand wanting to be alone, the voices mean you’re never really in silence. I hope he found peace in his final moments ♥️
That was really good. Thank you 😊😊
Can't believe I only found this channel last night... I LOVE your content. Keep going. Like you, im from Fron 🇬🇧 too ❤️ 💙 🥳
I lived in a truck
Sometimes in oregon.
Estranged family.
Thank god I found the right ppl to live with and be helpful.
A good life.
Rip jerry
Tragic story!! Thank you!!
You did Jerry proud. Great video and RIP Jerry.
Poor fella 😢
That's a 108 mile distance between hiking in West Linn and ending up in Marion Forks. I live in Oregon and those two places are rather extreme to say are within hiking distance. And yes, I'm aware of the Pacific Crest Trail and others of such magnitude are within the area, but to think these two places are close, they are rather not.
You rock , the story's are awesome . Thanks ! That's all I can say.
i hope his family knows that just because he stopped communicating with them, does not mean he did not love them. people have problems. some problems manifest in termination of communication. RIP
Okay. This one just made me very sad. I still appreciate the video. This story needs to be heard. May Jerry find peace in the afterlife.
There's lots of people like this, who wander off, disappear and die alone. You'd double the size of RUclips if you made a story about each one.
Can email me a case if you think it’s interesting !
If you cruise through a homeless camp or shelter you'll be sure to meet some of these drifters. All sorts of mental illness stops them from communication their situation or why they do what they do so they don't get much press. I was homeless myself for 7 years and Many of the people I met saw nothing abnormal about leaving the world behind. In turn their death usually refects their life, unknown. Much of it happens from a feeling of being unwanted, and from there they develop a mindset they skirts the line between reality and insanity. I've known plenty of these people personally. One in particular called himself 'pauli', I later found that to be a nickname but he told me that he wanted to see the mountains of the west coast. I called him months later only to find that his phone number was taken by someone else. Is he alive? Who knows. He's only one of dozens. Many of them learn to live solitude in life and to embrace it in death.
Horrible. I can't imagine being stuck, snowed in my car for 2 months. Poor guy.
Could you please let me know the name of the soundtrack used towards of the end of the video please i love the sound of it, please would be a big help
i grew up in west Linn and theirs no mountains their just a park Mary s young park. he must have gone out past estacada to the mt hood national forest?
Out of all the stories on this channel, this has to be one saddest ones I’ve come across.
Poor man. Rest in peace Jerry.
This is soooo sad .. so he had no one to care for him or anyone to ask where he was. Poor Jerry, I just feel so sad for him and it was weird that he made no effort to try to get out of the area he was stranded in. Maybe when he knew he was stranded and trapped, he just wanted to end it all as he knew no one woulld ask where he was and would expect him home at a certain time and day. If anyone here has someone in their family or friends who dont communicate as much, then please get them to at least tell you if they are going somewhere like a holiday, hiking, camping etc as it could save their life and get them home safely. R.I.P. Jerry
I love the music in the beginning, very haunting
Thank you for this, such nice respect shown. After I heard about the Hurricane Katrina victims being left in a room to die when the staff were overwhelmed atm, I thought back then...no one should ever die alone. But, omg, this poor guy couldn't have been any more alone than that. Not even a doggie as a companion? dang. This one hit me hard.
What incident are you talking about? Just wondering. Is it also on this channel?
@@missbraindamage No, sorry, not from a video on YT, I'm old (in my 50's lol) and I remember when the T.V. news person said the hospitals were so overwhelmed from the hurricane that they just couldn't tend to all of them, so that happened.
Bless you Disasterthon for a very poignant tale, maybe, just maybe he did it his way!!!🙏😢❣️
How very tragic!
There was a story about a family that had been stranded on a highway for 3 days. Even though there was a McDonald like 2 miles away. This was in summer and good weather conditions in area without any dangerous wild animals or elements. Ppl react sometimes strangely when they end up in a bad situation. Perhaps the poor guy though "one more day, and then...". But sadly the day never came.
This is heartbreaking in so many way. I wouldn’t know where to begin; however, I understand this. I pray that he is a peace. What he needed the most. Blessings to his family.
tragic to know he had no know in his life, yet here we are in the comments wishing him well rest and peace. no one ever really is alone
How Horrific😳☹️& Thanks D.T.H.👏❤️
So sad. Rip Jerry. I hope his family has found peace.
I thought this was actually a different story…..just pre-cell phones, someone got stuck (snowed in) in an RV on a road that was closed for the winter season, and due to a miscommunication, park staff thought the the road was fully checked before closing, with no one there. He kept a diary, initially had food for a month, then as time passed he wrote something like “I keep looking at the map, and this is about the only road between where I left and my destination…how can I not be found by now?” He also worked for a end hunger charity, and noted that he was now starving. He was found dead in the Spring as the road was re-opened.
could you email me this story?
Darn.... I live near here in Corvallis, Oregon. I go into the woods around here all the time.. I love going to Quartzville creek area at the foothills of the Santiam Pass, cascade range area. This is a sad case..
It's nice that you told what you could find out about his story! At least we know he had existed! 👍💯💯😆♥️
I'm so sorry for Jerry. I'm sorry he lived a lonely, probably sad life. Him being schizophrenic might explain why he stayed where he was instead of going for help. If he was sick, he might not have been thinking clearly. It also sounds like he had no interest in going to any people. I hope he's in a better place too. Thanks for telling his story.
Jerry died in Marion Forks, Ore. which is 108 miles south of West Linn. West Linn is a well off Suburb of Portland.
I don't know how to say this without it being wrong in some way but even though they're true life horror stories of what they went through etc, I love watching these & mountain stories which is doom & gloom but how it gives hope that you could possibly do it to if in that situation, great video as always & keep up the good work your doing. X😎🐘🇬🇧
RIP, Jerry. This story is folk song worthy👌🏼 So sad.
This one hit me hard... thinking of how lonely he must've felt during that time... stuck with only your thoughts and regrets... having to face the realization that, if I die out here, noone will even know, nobody is even going to notice my absence, I'm just disposable and haven't made an impact on anyones life enough that anyone cares about me. That had to have been so tough, not even a dog around for companionship 💔😣
If he wanted a dog, he could have got one. he deliberately wanted to be alone, so I dont think loneliness was a big burden for him.
I am the same way and in pretty much the same situation. My social life is twitter and it’s apparent that if I’m off twitter, my twitter “friends” don’t notice. I have severe PTSD and face to face social interactions are not fun.
I own a home and 5 acres of Oregon woods but to help out a destitute family I rented it to them for well below market value while I traveled. When Covid hit I came back and told them they needed to make other living arrangements but instead of leaving they just stopped paying rent. That was more than two years ago and they are still there. My state tenancy laws are strongly tilted towards the tenant and it would cost me several thousands of dollars to finance a long term legal battle.
I live in my RV and once had a medical emergency, a perforated ulcer. I was in the hospital for a week and even the woman I rent land from to park my RV didn’t know I was gone though her house is maybe 100’ from my RV in a direct line of site. I can stay in National Forests for free because I’m a disabled veteran, Viet Nam era. I am totally estranged from my family and cannot interact with them. Basically I am just waiting to die and given the bend towards authoritarianism in our country I am patiently looking forward to death so I won’t have to endure the coming turmoil.
I will probably get some responses here of encouragement and sympathy. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I may get some offering suggestions like I haven’t spent the last two years exhausting options. Since the Trump mindset has invaded American culture I really don’t want to be here anymore. I have no progeny so fuck it. You all can live with it.
I work in a small office where we locate family for people who died all alone. Mental illness plays a huge part in people being apart from their families. This case reminded me of a man who died in our city and the rest of his family was on the other side of the country. They weren't aware he had left. I spoke to a family member after we located them who said he used to see him around in the places he'd stay on the street and he'd try to offer help but the guy was schizophrenic and interpreted those offers as threats of harm. Eventually he had to stop trying to help because it would only push him away more. It sounds like Jerry wouldn't accept help from his family either. And there's nothing you can do for someone who rejects everything you try to do for them.
I know I'm super late to replying to this comment but I'm new to the channel and I just want to say thank you for what you do first off, it brings me a little bit of peace that there are people out there doing work such as yours and secondly, your story is a great example of one of the huge problems with homelessness and mental health that some people are completely oblivious of. They're traumatized and vulnerable and scared, so sometimes even if people are there trying to help them, they have no trust left in their heart. That's one of the biggest problems with shelters and government and state funded help expecially... They always think it comes with a huge cost, like someone is trying to hurt them and this distrust poisons their relationship with people they previously had trusted as well... They don't want to eat the food because what if the state is trying to poison them? They don't want to get the medical care because what if they do something that completely destroys their life and they can't get anyone to listen because everyone just dismissed them their entire lives? I don't have a solution to this problem by any means but I think it's something we should all be considering when talking about the homeless crisis and mental health crisis and something I rarely hear talked about. Keep being a guardian angel to these people who have no one to turn to, I promise you, your work makes a huge difference.
You should do an episode on Geraldine Largay.
This reminds me of Linda Bishop's story. She spent months surviving off of apples and water during a harsh winter while help was near. They made a documentary about her called God Knows Where I Am.
Jerry lived and died by his own terms; better than sitting in a nursing home getting medicated to death.
So sad, heartbreaking 💔
That is so sad. I really felt bad for this poor man. 😞
Oh this just breaks my heart. He had a disease of the mind. Mental disability is a horrid thing to live with! I was diagnosed with bipolar in 2001 and I've had my ups and downs and some people just can't come back from it. I now take meds for it but you never know when your mind and body will reject that help of a little pill. Sometimes those little pills are useless. Bless his heart. Maybe in his mind he thought no one wanted to be around him. Your brain along with the devil can play tricks. I don't care for those little games but we are all subject to this, not one person is safe unless you're dead. May he rest in peace now 🙏🏼✌🏻
Yass another amazing video. Honestly if my crime channel is half as good as yours ill be chuffed 🙂 x
Pls talk about the indonesian family in jakarta who got trapped in a 2x2 bathroom with their maids and driver when the house was robbed. Half of them died it was so traumatizing hearing about it back then
Rip jerry 😢😢😢 may he never be forgotten
So sad. So lonely. Tragic. RIP ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I live and am from West Linn and have never heard of this…that’s really weird. Also west linn is a city in the middle of cities, only 10 minutes from Portland. It’s not at all in the woods you can’t even camp there, anywhere.
Oh god this one broke my heart.
What a terrible tragedy. RIP ❤️
RIP Jerry. Hope you're much happier n not so lonely.
So unfortunate. RIP
Damn. RIP 🙏
I mean… He wrote on the calendar that he was trying to dig his truck out? So he actually did try to get out it wasn’t that he didn’t. 3 miles drive is completely different from a 3 mile walk in 6 foot of snow as an old man.
So so sad it's awful someone has no one 😞 😢