Jeeper Missing
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JK Super Freak
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,156
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Jeeper Missing
This was brought to my attention:
URGENT - Offroader missing - Jay Lafontaine Bryan has been missing since last week. If you can, please help post this and pass this around or on other forums. He was last seen driving from Boomtown nevada to Death Valley on 11/27, driving a Jeep Rubicon - black, no doors.
URGENT - Offroader missing - Jay Lafontaine Bryan has been missing since last week. If you can, please help post this and pass this around or on other forums. He was last seen driving from Boomtown nevada to Death Valley on 11/27, driving a Jeep Rubicon - black, no doors.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,045
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From: Santa Clara, CA
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but he has been found.
Stories like this really blow my mind (also thinking back to the mother w/ her kid lost in DV a little while back). Good reminder that the places we wheel on a daily basis are actually some of the harshest environments around -- always always be prepared to stay longer than planned, let someone know where you're going and when you plan to be back, and I would seriously consider a SPOT type locator if you're headed out alone. Be safe....
Stories like this really blow my mind (also thinking back to the mother w/ her kid lost in DV a little while back). Good reminder that the places we wheel on a daily basis are actually some of the harshest environments around -- always always be prepared to stay longer than planned, let someone know where you're going and when you plan to be back, and I would seriously consider a SPOT type locator if you're headed out alone. Be safe....
JK Freak
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 715
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From: Madera , Ca
wow...that's hits too close to home....I do go out wheeling by myself I try not to get in too deep but next time I guess I'll think twice about it.....a CB is next on my list for sure. Sorry to hear about this , did anyone on here know of him?
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,156
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Update!!
"Investigators believe Lafontaine’s Jeep got stuck in a ravine. Footprints in the snow indicated he was trying to walk out of the area for assistance, police said."
http://claycord.blogspot.com/2009/12...d-in-mono.html
http://fugitive.com/archives/15929?u...Fugitive+Watch
What those reports don't state is the fact that LaFontaine left the doors and windows for his Wrangler at home.
He drove to Boomtown (in Verdi on I-80) in time for a swift moving storm that left some snow in the Reno area (and here in Winnemucca), but really hit Gardnerville and south into Mono County the heaviest. The region's temperatures have barely hit freezing in Reno since, but well below in most other areas. Since then (and about the time he died) highs have only been in the teens and lows well below zero in the entire eastern California / northern Nevada region.
Why he chose to turn up the road to Bodie, it being closed for winter at the time, I haven't a clue. Even if he made it to the Death Valley floor (his reported destination), a Wrangler without doors and windows would have been downright chilly. Anything above the floor of the valley would be brutal, as much of the area got blanketed by snow in storms since his being reported missing.
The only good thing to come out of this is that closure for his family came quickly. Not next spring when his body might have been found, or 13 years from now, as in the case of the missing Germans in Death Valley.
http://claycord.blogspot.com/2009/12...d-in-mono.html
http://fugitive.com/archives/15929?u...Fugitive+Watch
What those reports don't state is the fact that LaFontaine left the doors and windows for his Wrangler at home.
He drove to Boomtown (in Verdi on I-80) in time for a swift moving storm that left some snow in the Reno area (and here in Winnemucca), but really hit Gardnerville and south into Mono County the heaviest. The region's temperatures have barely hit freezing in Reno since, but well below in most other areas. Since then (and about the time he died) highs have only been in the teens and lows well below zero in the entire eastern California / northern Nevada region.
Why he chose to turn up the road to Bodie, it being closed for winter at the time, I haven't a clue. Even if he made it to the Death Valley floor (his reported destination), a Wrangler without doors and windows would have been downright chilly. Anything above the floor of the valley would be brutal, as much of the area got blanketed by snow in storms since his being reported missing.
The only good thing to come out of this is that closure for his family came quickly. Not next spring when his body might have been found, or 13 years from now, as in the case of the missing Germans in Death Valley.
JK Junkie
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,192
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
JK Freak
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 829
Likes: 1
From: Burbank, CA
This is really sad to hear. Does anyone have any connections to Jay's family, in order to get information on funeral arrangements?
x3 on the SPOT messenger device. Gives my wife at home (and myself on the trail) a little peace of mind when I'm out.
As a boy scout leader, I can't stess enough about being prepared. Know ahead of time what weather and road conditions you might encounter, and prepare for the worst. Always leave your itinerary with someone back home, and check in frequently (the SPOT messenger device makes this real easy). If you can, bring what you'd need to build a fire if it becomes necessary for warmth or to signal for help. Bring enough water, food and warm clothing to sustain you overnight, in case you get stuck. A warm sleeping bag is not a bad idea either.
x3 on the SPOT messenger device. Gives my wife at home (and myself on the trail) a little peace of mind when I'm out.
As a boy scout leader, I can't stess enough about being prepared. Know ahead of time what weather and road conditions you might encounter, and prepare for the worst. Always leave your itinerary with someone back home, and check in frequently (the SPOT messenger device makes this real easy). If you can, bring what you'd need to build a fire if it becomes necessary for warmth or to signal for help. Bring enough water, food and warm clothing to sustain you overnight, in case you get stuck. A warm sleeping bag is not a bad idea either.
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JK Super Freak
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,258
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From: Los Angeles, CA.
I echo the sentiments of sympathy extended to Mr. LaFontaine's family as well. As stated MANY times here and on other forums, you should NEVER go wheeling alone, but instead bring AT LEAST one other vehicle. However, if you absolutely MUST wheel on your own, there are a couple of things you can do to ensure a relatively stress free trip:
1. Always inform friends or family members WHERE you are going, WHEN you can be expected to arrive, WHEN to call authorities if you don't check in...and always remember to actually check in!
2. Dress yourself (AND your vehicle) for the corresponding weather AND be prepared for the unexpected. Especially in the mountains, you can sometimes experience a 40+ degree swing from fair weather and clear skies to foul weather and brutal precipitation.
3. ALWAYS be prepared with ample supplies and tools: that means spare parts, tools to fix any breakages, a winch (or at the very least a strap and Hi-Lift), enough food and water to last for a few days, and extra clothing in case of weather swings.
That's pretty much it...a little common sense goes A LONG way and can certainly save your life.
Russ D.
1. Always inform friends or family members WHERE you are going, WHEN you can be expected to arrive, WHEN to call authorities if you don't check in...and always remember to actually check in!
2. Dress yourself (AND your vehicle) for the corresponding weather AND be prepared for the unexpected. Especially in the mountains, you can sometimes experience a 40+ degree swing from fair weather and clear skies to foul weather and brutal precipitation.
3. ALWAYS be prepared with ample supplies and tools: that means spare parts, tools to fix any breakages, a winch (or at the very least a strap and Hi-Lift), enough food and water to last for a few days, and extra clothing in case of weather swings.
That's pretty much it...a little common sense goes A LONG way and can certainly save your life.
Russ D.
JK Jedi
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 8,931
Likes: 6
From: San Marcos, CA
That really is depressing and a reminder to all who do occassionally wheel alone...there are just far too many people on this site who would love to join you on your trip...the SPOT is on my list.