In August 2004, 12-year-old Boy Scout Garrett Bardsley vanished in Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness — just 150 feet from his campsite. He had been fishing with his father at Cuberant Lake when he stepped into cold water, soaking his shoes and socks. Garrett told his dad he was heading back to camp to change… but he never arrived.

What followed was one of the largest search efforts in the state’s history — hundreds of searchers, helicopters, dogs, and thermal imaging — but no sign of Garrett was ever found. Not his fishing pole. Not his clothes. Only a single sock, later disputed as even being his.

In this episode of Serial Napper, we explore the mysterious disappearance of Garrett Bardsley, the theories of what could have happened in the rugged Uintas terrain, and the heartbreaking legacy left behind — including the creation of the Garrett Bardsley Foundation, which continues to help in search and rescue operations today.

Could Garrett have gotten lost? Was there an animal encounter? Or did something more sinister happen in those mountains?

🕵️‍♀️ If you have any information on this case, contact the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

Sources:

https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/garrett-bardsley

https://charleyproject.org/case/garrett-alexander-bardsley

https://www.heraldextra.com/news/2005/aug/28/in-memory-of-garrett/

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