On the Five Year Anniversary of McKinleyville Man’s Disappearance, Family Hopes that the Public Can Help
Five years ago today marks a puzzling event that has left Hans Lippuner’s family and friends heartsick. On October 16, 2018, the 59-year-old mechanic, craftsman, backpacker, and climber left his home in McKinleyville, California and vanished. According to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Unsolved Cases page, “Lippuner has not been seen since his disappearance and is missing under suspicious circumstances.”
In the weeks leading up to his vanishing, those close to him noticed he was grappling with depression, suffering from the pain of a bad hip, and experiencing significant weight loss.
The search found more questions than answers when Hans’ van was discovered to have been left near the end of Old French Creek Road off Highway 299, just outside Del Loma, California. The van was parked near the end of a little-used fire road in a remote area. The coordinates where the van was found are: 40°50’47.4″N 123°17’54.6″W https://goo.gl/maps/zVks6SvG2DtRaF9W9.
Family and friends searched the area as did Diana Totten and her Search and Rescue Team. But nothing helpful was located.
Hans Lippuner is described as a Caucasian male, 5’8″ tall, weighing around 140 pounds. He has blue eyes, wears glasses, is missing a couple of front teeth, sports very short graying/brown hair, a 2-3″ beard growth, and is a cigarette smoker who limps due to right hip pain. He wore a distinctive 2-3″ glass dragonfly necklace on a soft cord frequently.
As yet another anniversary of Hans Lippuner’s disappearance passes, his family and friends are left with a painful void, yearning for any information that might help solve this mystery. They are once again reaching out to the public, asking for assistance from anyone who may have seen Hans or his distinctive van around the dates of his disappearance, specifically on October 16 and 17, 2018.
If you have any information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, please contact Lt. Mike Fridley of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 (707) 441-3024. Any lead or piece of information could be the key to unraveling the mystery of Hans Lippuner’s disappearance.
Earlier Chapters with more information:
- McKinleyville Man Missing in White Van
- Sheriff’s Department Asking Public’s Help in Finding Man Missing Since Last Year
- Family Asks Community to Look for Missing Man
- On the Anniversary of His Disappearance, Family Releases That Missing Man’s Van Was Located and Where
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I hope this doesn’t sound crass or flippant.
In that, we are all going at some point, I have great respect for a man who chooses his own time and place. If it looks like Hans walked out not intending to return, then he is no doubt resting in a beautiful place of his choosing. I can think of nothing more perfect. There are many people I love so dearly. None of them owe me their presence, but this is a reminder to tell them how much I love them while I can.
He could have left a note
In most cases that is a luxury we’re not afforded.
So.
Just in case: I love you!
True.
To be or not to be is up to each person.
I used to work on that notorious daffodil farm on Dow’s Prairie, a cold and lonely place.
Big French creek is a deep drainage and the trail that used to follow it has been in shambles since the 2008 fires. It wouldn’t take much to disappear.
It’s steep and deep and no real destination (that I know of- I mean summit, butte, water feature etc) in the area. He most likely had an accident somewhere out there, I would guess. Hopefully a fast and peaceful exit.
A man with a troubled soul. The conditions under which he disappeared lead me to believe he has passed and did so in an area where he knew he would not be found. My heart breaks for the family and friends he has left behind. I am sure they have been going through hell for five years wondering where he is or will he ever come home. If he has left this earth, I pray he will RIP for the rest of time.