Utah Guide Vanishes, Leaving His Coffee and Keys

A community in Utah is desperate for answers after a 75-year-old wilderness guide seemingly vanished from his off-grid home. Joe Pachak, a well-known artist and outdoorsman from the town of Bluff, was last heard from on Nov. 18 before failing to meet with friends for coffee on Nov. 24, per Outside. Pachak's son, Raini, claims his father was spotted around town on Nov. 25, but didn't turn up for Thanksgiving dinners as planned. That's when he was reported missing, per KUTV.

Pachak's former partner, Lin Ostler, says he appears to have vanished from his home while enjoying his morning coffee, which was "a ritual," for him, per Outside. She says a cup of coffee was sitting out along with a container of creamer. Pachak's wallet, phone, and keys were also in the unlocked home, while his truck was parked outside. Friends say Pachak occasionally went on spontaneous hikes, but he usually told someone where he was going. "He's a very smart man and showed no signs of anything like dementia that would alter his behavior on a whim," his son says.

Nothing inside or outside the house "would indicate that there was foul play," San Juan County Sheriff Lehi Lacy said earlier this month, per KUTV. Authorities have scoured the area using helicopters, drones, and scent dogs, even draining a pond on Pachak's property, but found no trace. The investigation remains open, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. Despite the freezing nighttime temperatures, those who know Pachak, a former Marine, still believe in his ability to survive.