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    Craig Clouatre

    Custer Gallatin National Forest

    • Filing Date: Missing
      March 24, 2022
    • Cause of Death
      Undetermined / Unreleased
    • Status
      Found
    Primary Source and Summary
    Details of this reporting gathered from: People. If applicable, secondary + sources are entered at the bottom of this record.
    Craig Clouatre was found deceased on March 25, 2022, after leaving for a hike with a friend on March 24th. Authorities believe the cause of death was due to a grizzly bear attack.
    Case Status
    File Management
    This case file is incomplete, and important elements of information are currently being acquired from external sources. Please bookmark and re-visit, as new information will be released as it is received and vetted.
    Bulletin
    IMPORTANT
    Authorities believe the cause of death was due to a grizzly bear attack. This case file will be updated once the cause of death has been determined. Sources state that Craig Clouatre was hiking in the area of Gallatin National Forest. Several sources state that both the Custer and Gallatin National Forest have been managed together since 2014. Therefore, the park connected to this case file will be Custer Gallatin National Forest. Missing NPF is working on updating the "Found Location" for this case file.
    Initial Report

    According to People,

    A father of four young children died in a suspected grizzly bear attack last week in Montana authorities said.
     
    The Park County Sheriff's Office found the remains of hiker Craig Clouatre on Friday, March 25, 2022, a day after they launched an extensive search for the 40-year-old using horse, ground and helicopter teams.
     
    "It is with a very heavy heart that I am writing this update," Sheriff Brad Bichler wrote in a statement posted to social media. "After an extensive search this morning we have located Craig. It appears he had an encounter with a grizzly and unfortunately did not survive."
     
    "We will continue to work through the afternoon to bring Craig home," Bichler added. "Please keep his family and all those involved in your thoughts and prayers." According to the Associated Press, Clouatre had ventured out on an off-trail hike in Gallatin National Forest to search for antlers shed by elk and other animals. A friend had accompanied Clouatre on the trip, but the two separated and planned to meet at a rendevous point, a GoFundMe campaign set up for Clouatre said.
     
    Authorities did not plan to track down the bear responsible for Clouatre's death since the attack did not seem predatory and was likely a chance encounter.
    "This doesn't appear to be an attack where the bear sought out the person," Bichler told the AP. "It wasn't like the bear came down into a campground and nabbed someone."
    Officials are attempting to verify whether a grizzly bear was responsible for the tragedy and are testing hairs found in the area, the outlet reported.
     
    Heartbreakingly, Clouatre's death comes just two years after the family lost "almost everything" in a house fire, family friend Kristin Wachob said on GoFundMe.
    "Anyone who has met Craig, had a friend in him," Wachob wrote of Clouatre on the donation page. "He was a man full of joy and kindness."
     
    "And more than anything, he loved his family. He leaves behind a loving wife and four beautiful children," she added.
     
    As of Tuesday afternoon, the GoFundMe page has raised over $102,000.
    "The amount of love and support that has been shown has been incredible," Wachob said. "It speaks volumes to who Craig was as a person and how he touched every life he came in contact with."

    Missing NPF Stories

    Connected Missing NPF News:

    None connected.

    Personal Characteristics
    • Male
    • 40 years old
    • Sexual Orientation: HETEROSEXUAL
    • Classification: DAY/NIGHT HIKER
    Investigative Overview
    • Foul Play Suspected: No
    • Suspected Suicide: No
    • Cause of Death: Undetermined / Unreleased
    Significant Dates
    • Reported missing on March 24, 2022 - 617 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes ago
    • Found on March 25, 2022 - 616 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes ago
    Administrative Details
    This case file was posted on Mar 31, 2022 at 20:34
    This case file was last modified on Mar 31, 2022 at 21:02
    This case file has been assigned the Missing Persons ID 7275
    Disclaimer
    Missing NPF Public Notice
    Missing NPF lists “Foul Play Suspected,” “Suspected Suicide,” “Cause of Death,” and other elements of data in association with public reporting. These settings do not reflect the opinions of Missing NPF and/or its staff. Unless explicitly noted, Missing NPF does not publicize opinion, nor are any of the initial reports written – or edited – by members of Missing NPF. All content (with the exception of “IMPORTANT” notices, listed toward the top of applicable case files) are the works of external persons, sources and/or entities. All pictures displayed on this case file have been downloaded from the public domain, unless a user has commented or otherwise transmitted a picture to Missing NPF or its social media accounts. Case updates are derived from external persons, sources, and/or entities, and do not reflect the internal work of Missing NPF, unless expressly noted.
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