Robert Bissell Left His Campsite and Vanished
Robert Bissell, age 57, was an experienced hiker and hunter from Portland, Oregon. On July 12th, 2010, he set out on a solo camping trip to the Rock Lakes area above Estacada, deep in the Roaring River Wilderness.
Bissell was 5'5", between 130–150 lbs, and drove a white 1998 Nissan Sentra, which was later found parked at Trailhead 700 near Rock Lakes.
It appears Robert left his vehicle and hiked roughly five miles to Middle Rock Lake, where he set up camp. This was likely the same day he disappeared.
On July 19th, after not hearing from him, Robert’s brother hiked to the campsite. He found the camp intact—but no Robert. Assuming Robert had gone on an overnight hike or hunt, he left a note and returned home.
By July 24th, still with no contact, his brother returned. The campsite was exactly as it had been on the 19th. That’s when he raised the alarm.
Searching for Robert Bissell
By the time the search began, Robert had been missing for 12 days. That’s a terrible starting point for any wilderness search, but SAR teams mobilised anyway.
There are almost no official details about the search—no press briefings, no daily updates, nothing. One source claims horses were used. Another claims the search was “extensive,” though no major outlet covered it.
(Yeah, right.)
After five days, searchers were still out there—meaning Robert had been missing 17 days by that point.
Some campers later reported having a brief conversation with Robert, but this was at the start of his trip, not after he vanished.
By August 8th, the search was suspended. Nothing was found. No gear. No clothing. No remains. No trace.
The official assumption was that Robert injured himself while hiking away from camp.
But if that’s true, where is he?
Vanished.us Says
This case is a classic wilderness disappearance with all the usual red flags:
- A solo hiker
- A remote campsite
- A long delay before the search
- A complete lack of physical evidence
- A search that supposedly happened but left no public footprint
Robert’s camp was intact. His gear was there. His car was at the trailhead. He simply walked away and never returned.
If he were injured, he should have been found. If he died near the camp, he should have been found. If he died miles away, something—anything—should have turned up.
But nothing ever did.
Another experienced outdoorsman who stepped off the map and vanished.
If you have verifiable information about Robert Bissell’s disappearance—or know the exact search areas—get in touch or claim this listing.