Power Kite Forum

Were You in Fairfield? Help find missing man

Marjorie - 6-3-2011 at 08:18 AM

Missing : Grant Moedl
Age: 57 5'6" 150 pounds Grey hair (receding hair line), mustache,blue eyes, glasses
photo attached, and available at: http://www.ktvb.com/home/Police-looking-for-missing-man-near...

2008 Silver Subaru Outback, License: 1T 194

He was traveling from Rexburg to Boise via Hwy 20 ( Arco, Fairfield ) the afternoon of Wednesday, March 2nd. He was expected in Boise approximately 6pm but did not arrive. Locals say there were still some snow-kiters in the area Wed afternoon. He would have been driving by between 3 and 6pm. We think he would have stopped to watch. He's very friendly and would have likely started a conversation with whomever was there.

Contact Madison Sherriff Department 208-356-5426 with any information.

bobalooie57 - 6-3-2011 at 08:27 AM

Wow! Vanished? You would think his car would be somewhere on that route. Kind of scary, in a Willy Loman sort of way. Hope they find him O.K., he just saw the snowkiters, got the 'bug', and is on a "bucket mission" to get some!

22bene - 6-3-2011 at 08:37 AM

Wow I have been out there all week but nothing like that seen.

bobalooie57 - 6-3-2011 at 08:40 AM

Sorry, I just realised that sounded kind of boorish, let me explain my position. It's just that most of us here have a real passion for this sport, some of which seems to be unfathomable to most others. I, for one, took up this sport at 50 yrs old! Because I saw some snowkiters at the first festival on Tug Hill, in northern NY. I had to learn how to do it! I would have travelled to learn, but lucky for me it was in my own backyard. I sincerely hope that this is what happened with Grant. From a kiter's perspective, if after a festival, I had someone persistent enough, and convincing enough, with a good story, like, I'm on vacation, I saw this and have to learn how, just passin thru, might never get to see it again, well, sure I'd try to help the guy out, because I've been there. If this is what happened, certainly someone has seen him, and reported him by now. Good luck, and Godspeed.

rocfighter - 6-3-2011 at 09:00 AM

I surely hope this is the case Bob. And as a kiter I found you first post as honest as your well thought out second post.
This is far from an old man in todays standards. I hope he is fine and caught up in a dream.
Best of luck, Dave.

indigo_wolf - 6-3-2011 at 10:08 AM

Information has been cross-posted to the EDCF Forum, which should include, among others, a healthy population of LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers), Emergency Services workers/volunteers.

Hope everything turns out well.

ATB,
Sam

Thanks

Marjorie - 6-3-2011 at 12:20 PM

Thanks for your input and passing on and re-posting this info. Grant is a mountaineer and certainly would be intrigued to learn more. Nothing would please us more to find out he'd joined a traveling band of snow kiters. (We'd be pissed, but relieved...) At this point, we are just really trying to confirm sightings. He was last seen in Carey (about 1 hr East of where the kiting would be) roughly 2:30.

Technical question: would there be any possibility that a kiter would be hitch-hiking back to a car? He wouldn't be inclined to pick up a random strangers, but might pick up a kayaker/skiier b/c he's "been there".

Missing - update

Marjorie - 6-3-2011 at 05:12 PM

New cell info suggests that he did stop somewhere for 30 minutes - about 5pm Wed. Location is about right for the fields used for snow-kiting. Please keep spreading the word. Thanks.

Marjorie - 7-3-2011 at 06:18 AM

A million thanks to all the kiters who helped network and pass on info and ideas. We still haven't found Grant, but we did find the ONLY kiter who was in the area Wed afternoon (talk about a needle in a hay-stack). He has been a wealth of useful information. Thank You James!!!