Katharina Buczek
Michael Bryson of Eugene, Oregon, was getting his life back on track in 2020 following drug struggles. Prior to the pandemic, he worked at a local bar and grill and expressed interest in studying to be an electrician.
His passion, though, was music. Michael was frequently invited to DJ sets at raves and parties across his home state. He did the same at Hobo Camp Campground before he disappeared in August 2020 at 27-years-old.
“That’s the hard part… we were really seeing a passionate change. And now… this. And he would never just leave,” said Michael’s father, Parrish Bryson.
“Even in his toughest times, he would always contact us. The idea that he would just disappear is unheard of.”
It all began on August 3, 2020, when Michael visited his parents’ home in Harrisburg, Oregon, and claimed he was going on a week-long birthday party camping trip with a friend at Hobo Camp Campground, located near Dorena, Oregon.
“We know he was up there Monday and Tuesday and that the DJ at his party, which was actually a rave, invited him up on the stage to do a set. But by the next morning, he was gone,” Parrish recalled.
At 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, Michael reportedly wandered off at the campground, leaving his friend group and walking in an unknown direction. He left behind his camping gear, and his phone was turned off. His bank account has not been accessed since, either.
Michael’s parents, Parrish and Tina, didn’t learn their son had gone missing until 5:00 p.m. Upon receiving the news, they raced to the campground; meanwhile, Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue was already on the scene, with land and water searches underway.
Hundreds of volunteers showed up over the next few days, looking through miles of the wooded area. But despite foot, horseback, and drone searches, no signs of Michael were found.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
