The remote community of Island Mountain which is approximately two and a half hours from Garberville, should expect a helicopter and searchers today as Scott Graves, a 63-year-old resident and father of three, has gone missing under odd circumstances. His family, local Volunteer Fire Departments, and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department will be searching by ground while a helicopter crew and possibly a drone will search his property off Island Mountain Road via the air.
Scott Graves
Scott Graves’ daughter, Maygan Graves, told us that the last contact they had with her father was on Monday, December 4. Their concern deepened when her brother, on the afternoon of Thursday, December 7, traveled to Scott’s property to check on him. What he found was both puzzling and worrisome.
Scott’s truck, parked near his cabin, was locked, with its windows down. Inside the vehicle was one of his dogs. However, Scott Graves himself was nowhere to be found. “His wallet was inside the truck but his ID, hat and some other belongings were inside his cabin,” Maygan told us. “He was no where to be found, along with his phone and key to his truck.”
“We are devastated to hear of his disappearance and would appreciate assistance,” Maygan Graves pleaded.
Scott Graves’ wife, Stacy Graves, although separated from him, expressed her concerns. She explained that her son was supposed to meet his dad but got a text on Monday saying the roads to Scott’s property were too muddy.
Scott Graves
“We didn’t hear from him after Monday. Our son went out but couldn’t find him. That’s when we filed a missing person report Thursday,” Scott’s wife explained. She said that a Mendocino Sheriff’s deputy told her that his phone pinged from a cell tower in the area on Tuesday.
Search and Rescue teams were dispatched to Island Mountain and began scouring the rugged terrain on Thursday, arriving around noon and searching until 5 p.m., but there was no sign of Scott himself. Inside the cabin, investigators discovered Scott’s identification, but his blankets were missing.
In addition, Scott’s side-by-side vehicle filled with gas was found at the cabin. Adding to the mystery, it was noted that his identification was found inside the cabin near a heater that appeared to have been knocked over, but Scott’s wallet and backpack were found in his locked truck.
Adding to the mystery, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department’s Detective Logan told KMUD News, that while one dog was loose on the property, one dog had been locked in a vehicle and it “didn’t seem like the dog had ever defecated or urinated inside the truck.”
Today, authorities are starting a helicopter search in hopes of finding clues from the air, and they are also considering the use of drones to expand their search efforts, Stacy told us.
Out of the area search parties are expected to join the efforts tomorrow, Detective Logan said. “There could be 70 to 100 Search and Rescue persons,” he told KMUD News.
As search efforts continue, the family remains on edge, hoping for a breakthrough that will bring Scott Graves back safely.
