Missing in the foothills: what happened to the Usoltsev family in the Krasnoyarsk Territory

The search for the missing Usoltsev family, which disappeared on the approach to Mount Pinocchio, continues in the Krasnoyarsk Territory for the second week. The family went camping for only a few hours, but did not return by the agreed time. The Usoltsevs' eldest son and rescuers have been trying for several days to find out the causes of the disappearance and find the missing, but the inaccessibility of the area and weather conditions forced them to temporarily suspend the search. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

The disappearance of the Usoltsev family at the foot of Mount Pinocchio

The Usoltsev family, a husband and wife from the Krasnoyarsk Territory born in 1961 and 1977, as well as their five-year-old daughter, went on a hiking trip to Mount Pinocchio on Sunday, September 28, but have not yet returned. It is known that they were accompanied by a dog named Lada.

Irina Usoltseva's friend Oksana Zhdanyuk, in a conversation with Izvestia, said that the family did not share the details of the route, but they probably changed their path.

"They just wanted to go to Mount Pinocchio. It's just that they spent the night at the Geosphere base from Saturday to Sunday. On Sunday, they went to Mount Pinocchio. And from there they had to go home," Zhdanyuk said.

On the fifth day of the absence, the family began to be searched, and on October 2, a car was found in the village of Kuturchin in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as reported by the regional Interior Ministry.

"A couple's car has been found, which they left in the village of Kuturchin. There are eyewitnesses who observed how a family with large backpacks started the route to Mount Pinocchio," the message on the Telegram channel says.

So far, no connection with the missing or their location has been established. Both adult mobile phones are currently turned off.

Before the trip, Irina posted a video in which she shared her vacation plans. The family planned to spend the night in a dome house with a sauna. At first, the couple were not going to take the child with them, because they knew that the route would be difficult, but at the last moment they changed their mind.

The epicenter of the disappearance

The search is taking place in a wooded area near the Minsk Loop. Drones are used to determine the location. On October 6, the Main Directorate (GU) of the Russian Emergencies Ministry for the region announced that the number of participants in the search for a missing family in the Krasnoyarsk Territory had increased to 356 people.

"The group involved in search and rescue operations has increased. Currently, 356 people and 47 pieces of equipment are engaged in the search," the agency said in a statement on the Telegram channel.

Soon, the criminal investigation department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the region was connected to the search for the missing Usoltsev family in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and 30 square kilometers of taiga were surveyed.

"Operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the region joined the search, including Natalia Penkov, head of the Department for coordinating the activities of the internal affairs bodies for the search for persons," the report said.

The department also noted that law enforcement officers had re-interviewed witnesses and viewed recordings from surveillance cameras in the village of Kuturchin.

Two tourists reported seeing the missing Usoltsev family on the approach to Mount Pinocchio in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as reported by the press service of the Investigative Department (SU) of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the region and Khakassia. According to them, everything was fine with the family at that time.

As part of the search operation, ground teams surveyed 129 square kilometers of forest and 96 km of forest roads. 23 groups are involved in the search, involving ATVs, paragliders, drones and dog training teams.

Weather conditions complicate the work: it was +16 degrees in the region on the day of the family's trip to the trail, but in October frosts came and snow fell, the air temperature dropped to -7°C.

Waiting for the unknown

The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into the disappearance of the Usoltsev family. Investigators have put forward three versions of what happened. According to one theory, tourists could encounter a bear and get lost while fleeing from the animal, since bears, roe deer and wild goats live in the search area. Locals express the same version.

In addition, another version is being considered, according to which the man became ill during the hike, and his wife and daughter could not get out. Investigators also admit that the family could have lost their way due to the thick fog that was on September 28. They believe that a man with extensive experience in hiking could create a shelter to protect his family, and now they are waiting for the help of rescuers.

The Investigative Committee clarified that the tourists most likely did not have a tent, and their mobile phones still do not give a signal. The agency did not confirm the information that the latest mobile device signals were recorded near the mountain. The version about the child's footprints in the snow was also refuted — these turned out to be the footprints of one of the volunteers.

There is no exact information about how the missing tourists were dressed, however, it is assumed that the man was in a camouflage suit, and his wife and daughter may not have taken into account the weather conditions.