Hiker, who lost his dog in Barra Banks, Presumed Dead as family says he has ‘Terminal Illness’

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Chris Palmer, who went missing with his dog in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is believed to be dead after his belongings were found along the coast.

• The 39-year-old had gone camping in the Smoky Mountains before he said his family’s signal was too weak to stay in touch.

• Since then, his family said that they “recently learned that Christopher was facing a terminal illness”

A hiker, who went missing with his dog in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is believed to be dead after his belongings were found.

Two weeks after Chris Palmer, 39, went missing in North Carolina, his father, Bren Palmer, shared on social media that he and his family have made the “difficult decision” to stop all active search efforts for his son.

“We recently learned that Christopher was facing a terminal illness,” he wrote on Facebook on January 24. “Knowing this helped us understand the choices he made. Christopher loved the outdoors and valued his independence. The following treatments would take a lot from that, and he didn’t want that future for himself.”

Noting that Chris’ belongings were discovered near the coast, Bren said their family believed he was “lost at sea.”

“As heartbreaking as this is, we found a measure of peace in that understanding,” he continued. “We are very proud of the man Christopher was, and we hope his story brings awareness to the emotional and mental burdens people can face during serious medical challenges.”

“We would like to thank the United Cajun Navy and every volunteer, first responder, and community member who searched for our boy,” he added. “It has been deeply humbling to see so many people caring for someone they have never met. Our family is at peace and asks that Christopher’s memory and the safety of others be respected as we seek closure.”

The update comes eight days after Chris was officially declared missing with his dog after his truck was found on a North Carolina beach on January 12, three days after he last made contact with his family, according to the National Park Service.

In a Jan. 20 news release, officials said, “Palmer is believed to be traveling with his German shepherd and may still be in the area.”

Two days later, NPS shared in an update that, after reviewing Dare County traffic camera footage, investigators believe Palmer’s truck was in Dare County in the early afternoon of Jan. 9. While it wasn’t there when the vehicle was found on the beach, footage showed there was a blue and white kayak in the back of the vehicle at the time.

Bren shared on January 19 that his son went to the Smoky Mountains with his dog Zoey to camp 11 days earlier.

“He does a lot of camping in national forests,” he explained on Facebook. “He will let us know when and where he is going and when he is expected to return.”

While he had received frequent communications from Chris until January 9, Bren noted that his son had told him that the signal had become too spotty to speak the day before his truck was found abandoned on the beach “hours away in the opposite direction he was going.”

“The National Park Service is currently searching for him with teams and infrared drones near Buxton,” he wrote at the time. “Im [sic] pray for his safe finding and send this to friends you may know in the areas mentioned.”

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