[UPDATE: He’s Okay!] Man Missing for Two Days, Last Text Said He Was Lost Near Bridgeville

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William Brian Griffin

UPDATED at the bottom.

Original post: William Brian Griffin, age 34, went missing from the Alderpoint Road between Bridgeville and Blocksburg Wednesday night. Tony Perez is worried sick. “This is the third night [since Griffin went missing,]” he said. “Four of us went looking into the woods today. We called the whole time but no one answered.”

Griffin had lost his dog Wednesday and was searching the hills for him west of Alderpoint Road and Larabee Creek south of Bridgeville.

Griffin called a friend late on Wednesday saying he was lost and asking for the friend to try and meet him on Alderpoint Road which he thought he could see in the distance. By 9:30 another friend was in the area searching and calling for him.

There were texts exchanged.

“Still don’t know where I am,” Griffin texted. It was received at 12:42 a.m. by one friend. The friend texted back, “stay where you are till morning! I have been driving up and down [Alderpoint.] I’m going to be back there first thing in the morning walking the river looking for you. Turn off your phone if you haven’t yet [and] save your battery till daylight!”

Capture

Screengrab of the text message exchange between the Griffin and his friend.

Thursday, the two friends went back to the area and again looked for Griffin. They also contacted law enforcement to apprise them of the situation. Today, they went back with more people and searched the area as well as posted multiple missing person posters. Still, no luck. Perez, the friend who Griffin called originally, is filing a Sheriff’s report now. [Perez says an official missing person’s report was filed around 9 p.m.]

The dog has been located. The cabin that Griffin was staying in has been located. “There are clothes that could be used if anyone has a bloodhound to track him,” Perez said.

If you have information about this case, please contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office or email [email protected].

UPDATE 10:35 a.m.: According to an email from Tony Perez, the Sheriff’s Office “got a ping on his phone last night.”  Perez says a friend met them at 10 this morning “to show them the property and where his belongings were and then they were going to assess the terrain, to decide if they need a helicopter or search and rescue.”

We’ll update on the situation as we know more.

UPDATE 4:23 p.m.: Brian Griffin has been found…or, to be more precise, he has walked out of the woods and hitchhiked to Redcrest. We’ve been told he has an incredible story to tell and that he’ll share it with us as soon as possible.

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31 Comments
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Tony P
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Tony P
8 years ago

We originally contacted authorities on Wednesday around noon. 15 hours after his first text. We walked into Fortuna PD to report a missing person. They called the sheriff, who in turn, called me.. They said they would put out a BOLO for him in the area and to file a report if we didn’t find him.
I called them after returning from there today at 5:09, between a shift change, and being short handed, it took almost 4 hours to get a call back to file the “official” report with HCSO… She mentioned that they may possibly be able to ping his phone..

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Strange . I hope they find him alive and well.

LAZY SKUNK RANCH
Guest
LAZY SKUNK RANCH
8 years ago

That’s the Russian Front area, hope he’s okay. Bulgies don’t eat dogs, but they do eat people.

Hope He Makes Out
Guest
Hope He Makes Out
8 years ago

This might be a good excuse to do open field searches by the HCSO. If I were searching for my friend in that area, I would make sure I was armed and able to defend myself. Some of those folks aren’t nice. Did anyone living in that area here a gunshot? He should start a controlled fire, not letting it get hot, but super smokey. That will get him found in a hurry. 3 nights doesn’t sound good. If this guy goes missing in that area, I hope law enforcement cracks some skulls! The strange thing to me is he had phone service and didn’t use an app to find his long and lat. Maybe he didn’t have a smart phone or internet capabilities?

veteransfriend
Guest
veteransfriend
8 years ago

That is the stupidest thing I’ve seen yet. Start a fire? Man. Go back to the city you idiot.

Hope He Makes It Out
Guest
Hope He Makes It Out
8 years ago
Reply to  veteransfriend

HAHAHA! The city! I cant even spend more than 3 days in the city. I’ve lived off grid most my life. I said “not letting it get hot”. Can you comprehend that? A small, smoldering fire will produce copious amounts of smoke without heat. A frickin blind person can keep a 1’x1′ cold fire under control. Unless of course you are from the city. If this guy cant figure out or simply unable to get his coordinates on his phone, then smoke is his next best friend. Now take this thought ones step further, if you can, he is near Larabee creek. Even though it may be at all time lows, there is still water and moister. A person could build said fire on the creek bed, again without it getting hot and producing embers. I may not be the sharpest spoon in the drawer, but I’m no idiot.
You comment about walking down hill is ok. However, Larabee flows into the main stem Eel, at a good fishing hole and thats quite far away for someone who is lost to be walking. A better bet would be to walk to the road he was seeing.

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
8 years ago

The idiot who called you an idiot isn’t too smart.

Deborah
Guest
Deborah
8 years ago

Any word on the missing man? Has anyone heard from him again?

Hunanityfirst
Guest
Hunanityfirst
8 years ago

Omgosh, I hope and pray they find the man. That must be scary to say the least.

Liz
Guest
Liz
8 years ago

Does anyone know why he walked so far away from the cabin he was staying in?
Doesn’t Humboldt Co. have a Search & Recuse dog?

I would hire me a tracking dog!

R.S. Arnold
Guest
R.S. Arnold
8 years ago

I hope this turns out better than the last missing out of town man did. Oddly they found his dog too. My heart goes out to his loved ones.

Otis Driftwood
Guest
Otis Driftwood
8 years ago

As many helicopters as there are flying around I would think at least one of them would have IR capability. Just saying.

another guest
Guest
another guest
8 years ago

So the sheriff depth has done no search and rescue? 4 days in the woods is doable with the right skills, but obviously this isn’t a simple missing person, he’s lost in the woods

veteransfriend
Guest
veteransfriend
8 years ago

When lost in the woods around here…just keep going downhill. You will reach the river and can follow railroad tracks to what we in Humboldt laughingly call “civilization”.

Rachel
Guest
Rachel
8 years ago
Reply to  veteransfriend

Railroad tracks?! In Humboldt?

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
8 years ago

So many people missing.hope he comes home safe and sound.praying for his friends and family.

pam
Guest
pam
8 years ago

No trains but lots of tracks.

hope ok
Guest
hope ok
8 years ago

They seem to only use IR on choppers when they are looking for suspects not lost people. Pretty sad.
Not sure about sheriff search&rescue, I’d rather have the kick ass So Hum tactical search&rescue helping, they rock.
And no on starting a fire to be found!!!! Dead of wet winter its a great idea. Some of these fires rite now are moving so fast there would be no way to out run it. Kym is it true one of the clearlake fires burned 20,000 acres in five hours?

Hope He Makes It Out
Guest
Hope He Makes It Out
8 years ago
Reply to  hope ok

I should have explained myself in more detail. Since everyone is on pins and needles about smoke, it would get quick attention. My vision wasnt starting a fire in the grasslands, but rather in Larabee creek. Also, a fire doesnt need to be hot, producing embers or even big flames. A tiny fire, kept cold, in a creek bed seems reasonable. 3 days, my ass would be doing whatever it takes to get found. Unfortunately, 3 days in that area most likely means trouble. Either a broken leg or someone has shot him. It’s not like hes out in the middle of nowhere. I hope the hell hes just injured. Ive already said it and I’ll say it agian. If he is found dead, or missing, the damn HCSO better step up!! I don’t want to point fingers, but there is a certain group of people I would love to see get rousted and shipped the fuck back to where they came from.

Kristi griffin
Guest
Kristi griffin
8 years ago

Any updates??

Otis Driftwood
Guest
Otis Driftwood
8 years ago

Glad he’s alive and the Bulgarians didn’t shoot him.

Jeb
Guest
Jeb
8 years ago

This isn’t LA son.. Now don’t come back now you hear.

Gary Robertson
Guest
Gary Robertson
8 years ago

Love happy endings! Thanks for the update — and — welcome back, Brian. Good news is always welcome.

—–
“I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.”
–Daniel Boone
—–

stinkfootsteve
Guest
stinkfootsteve
8 years ago

What is this amateur doing anyways?
[edit]

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

Great news. This had been bothering me since it happened. Whew !!

Cant Wait
Guest
Cant Wait
8 years ago

Redcrest?? It is going to be one hell of a story. If he followed the creek, he would have ended up just up river from the Holmes bridge. Cross the the bridge and there are several people there that would have helped him. Even before making it to the river, there are homes near the creek. Redcrest? That was one hell of a walk.

Jacqueline
Guest
Jacqueline
8 years ago

Would love to hear his story, loose ends…glad he’s ok

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[…] Griffin who was lost for almost three days in the area between Blocksburg and Redcrest doesn’t know exactly went wrong but he knows for […]