This Mystery is History

I actually thought he would be found still alive somewhere, perhaps with some sort of amnesia or something. But then, I also thought I’d never see this mystery ever getting solved considering that so many people joined in the search, including Google, which turned up nothing for so long.

Not that it matters to me, personally… but somehow, for some unknown reason, I was very much captivated by the news regarding the disappearance of Steve Fossett (since the news first broke out). At the time, I thought “could this be another Glenn Miller?”

But the mystery has been solved, and his bones have been found (which were positively identified through DNA testing as those of Fossett’s).

Just to give everyone an idea who Steve Fossett is, here’s a snippet of a CNN news article:

“Fossett made his money in the financial services industry, but is renowned for his daredevil exploits, which include nonstop, round-the-world trips aboard a balloon, a fixed-wing plane and a boat.

“He was the first person to circle the globe solo in a balloon, accomplishing the feat in 2002, and the first to fly a plane around the world solo without refueling, which he did in 2005. He also set world records in round-the-world sailing and cross-country skiing.”

And this is from Wikipedia (but then again, Wikipedia articles are known to contain factual errors so I don’t know how accurate this is):

“James Stephen Fossett (April 22, 1944 – c. September 3, 2007) was an American businessman, aviator, sailor, and adventurer and the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon. He made his fortune in the financial services industry, and was best known for many world records, including five nonstop circumnavigations of the Earth: as a long-distance solo balloonist, as a sailor, and as a solo flight fixed-wing aircraft pilot.

“A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club, Fossett set 116 records in five different sports, 60 of which still stand, as of June 2007.”

And here’s the complete Yahoo News article on the findings of the DNA tests done on the discovered remains:

DNA links bones near plane crash site to Fossett
Mon - Nov 3, 9:26 pm ET

MADERA, Calif. – Authorities said Monday they have positively identified some of Steve Fossett's remains: two large bones found a half-mile from where the adventurer's plane crashed in California's Sierra Nevada.

Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said DNA tests conducted by the state Department of Justice positively identified the bones as the remains of the millionaire aviator who disappeared last year.

Anderson has declined to say what bones were found, saying he didn't want to cause the family further anguish.

Fossett's widow, Peggy Fossett, released a statement thanking authorities for their work.

"I am hopeful that the DNA identification puts a definitive end to all of the speculation surrounding Steve's death. This has been an incredibly difficult time for me, and I am thankful to everyone who helped bring closure to this tragedy," she said.

The bones were discovered last week, along with Fossett's tennis shoes and Illinois driver's license, which had animal bite marks on them.

Fossett disappeared in September 2007 after taking off from a Nevada ranch owned by hotel magnate Barron Hilton for what was supposed to be a short pleasure flight. Law enforcement, fellow aviators and others launched a costly search that covered 20,000 square miles but turned up empty.

The wreckage of Fossett's plane was discovered last month after a hiker walking off trail in the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes stumbled across Fossett's pilot's license and a wad of weathered $100 bills. Authorities said Fossett likely died on impact.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.