MUS-2026-0547
Archive card
MUS-2026-0547
Missing person
- Incident
- 2020
- Indexed
- Oct 29, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- National Park Service, Mount Rainier National Park
- Location
- Ashford WA
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
Sam Dubal, 33, a University of Washington anthropology assistant professor and medical doctor, set out alone on the Mother Mountain Loop from the Mowich Lake Trailhead in Mount Rainier National Park on October 9, 2020 and never returned to his car. A water bottle believed to be his was the only trace found. Ground searches were suspended after ten days of extensive searching, and he remains missing.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- 2020
On October 9, 2020, Dubal departs the Mother Mountain Loop from the Mowich Lake Trailhead, due out October 10.
- 2020
On October 12, 2020, he is reported missing at midday and searches begin.
- 2020
On October 13, 2020, a distinctive water bottle believed to be his is found on the trail.
- 2020
On October 23, 2020, the National Park Service announces ground searches are suspended after ten days.
Key people
The people in the file.
33, University of Washington assistant professor. Last known to be on the Mother Mountain Loop from October 9, 2020.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the National Park Service, Mount Rainier National Park. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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