Body Of French Adventurer Francois Guenot Found On Remote Alaskan Island Six Months After He Vanished

Almost six months after the disappearance of 32-year-old French adventurer Francois Guenot in the Alaskan wilderness, his body has been positively identified. According to the Alaska Dispatch News, the human remains found on a remote island north of Kodiak on September 8 has been identified to be of Francois Guenot. The Frenchman, who had told about his intention to kayak through the remote parts of the Alaskan landmass, was last seen alive by his friends on May 9, 2014. The last anyone heard from Francois was on May 26, according to Yahoo! News.

According to Alaska State Troopers, Francois Guenot had arrived in Alaska late last year with the intention to walk, canoe, and bicycle across the state. Francois, who had also befriended the locals, told them that he had walked all through Canada to reach Alaska. His ultimate goal was even mightier. He intended to cross over to Russia and reach the Kamchatka Peninsula. Last winter, he spent his time with people in the villages around Lake Iliamna. Francois, thanks to his personality, became close to several people in the villages. They were in fact worried about Francois’ goals as he was thought to possess a very casual attitude towards his own personal safety.

Francois Guenot had once confided to one of his friends about his plan to embark on a canoe trip to Peryville, located on the southern coast of Alaska. It was this trip that eventually took his life. When he last contacted his friends on May 26, he was located near the Kamishak Bay, which is close to the shores of the Katmai National Park and Preserve.

After that, there was no trace of Francois until June 20, when park rangers from the Katmai National Park found what is thought to be the kayak that was used by the Frenchman. The kayak was found along an area known as the Shelikof Strait. Further search resulted in the discovery of a waterproof bag that was found around three miles south. Following the discovery of these objects, the U.S. Coast Guard used an aircraft and a vessel to search the area. The search was eventually called off, as there was no sign of Francois.

By August, it was clear that Francois Guenot was in trouble, as no one had heard from him in four months. This led to his brother and father traveling to Alaska to inquire about the whereabouts of their loved one. His family was reassured by the fact that none of Francois’ personal items were found – pointing towards the fact that he could still be alive.

On September 8, the decomposed remains of a person were discovered on a beach on Shuyak Island. A volunteer with the Kodiak Island Trails Network came across the remains while he was cleaning marine debris on the beach. Upon further investigation, and the matching of dental records, it was eventually deduced that the human remains were indeed of Francois Guenot. His family members have been intimated about the latest developments.

The news about Francois Guenot’s unfortunate death comes on the same day the Inquisitr reported about a bear attack in Alaska that left a 65-year-old man seriously wounded.

[Image Via Samantha Dawson/Yukon News]