YEAR: 2017

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: 29

STATE: West Virginia

COUNTY: Randolph County

LOCATION DETAILS: It is a road off harpertown road from Elkins, WV. Not sure if the cutoff road name but the area of the sighting is referred to as Lower Cheat by locals. I have a screen cap from google earth that I can provide upon request. 38 58’06N 79 45’40W are the approximate coordinates.

NEAREST TOWN: Fairview

NEAREST ROAD: Name unknown, rural road

OBSERVED: Last summer either end of June or early July I was trout fishing the shavers fork of the cheat river in Randolph county, West Virginia. I was wading on one side of a fork in the river with an island type feature in the middle of the two streams and heard the snap of twigs. I looked to the island and briefly saw a figure that was roughly 60 yds away, very tall and dark brown or black in color. At first I thought it was a person but there was no facial features I could make out at that distance it was all dark I assumed covered in hair. My next thought is that it was a bear, but it walked away out of view moments after I had eyes on it, on two feet, and carried a staff with it. The staff was large, probably st least 5-6” in diameter, larger than I believe a human could or would wish to use as a walking stick. The figure moved to my right, downstream and quickly out of view. I was frozen with fear and unarmed at the time so there was no way I was going to pursue it. I’ve only told a handful of people about it and most think it wasn’t true expect my wife who knows when I am being sincere. Earlier this month I visited my father who I now know is a Bigfoot enthusiast and told him about the sighting. He had urged me to report on this website so now I’m getting around to actually doing it.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Midday, very sunny with partial clouds.

ENVIRONMENT: There is a bridge upstream about 1/8 mile, the “island” where the sighting was is daily heavily wooded.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Greg Lambert:

I spoke with the witness by phone about his report. The area he was fishing is stocked with trout and usually has several people fishing there on any given day. Most people fish there in the spring and fall, so being summer, he was alone on the river that day. He stated this encounter was the furthest thing from his mind that day.
He was first alerted to its presence by the cracking sound of a large branch. I asked him if he thought this is what he saw was using as a walking stick when it crossed the river but he was unsure, but said it was possible. There are no hiking trails close to the location that he is aware of, so he didn't think it was someone hiking. It stood facing him but turned quickly upon being spotted and moved into the trees. It had very broad shoulders, was one solid color, dark brown or black, and he was very impressed by its height. He stated he became very frightened and began to leave the area immediately as he was unarmed at the time.
All this being said, here are some things we must ask ourselves about this to try and determine what he saw that day.

1. Why would a person cross the river when there was a bridge an 1/8 of a mile away?

2. If this was a person, why would they be carrying such a large piece of wood across the river?

3. If this was a person, why would they be wearing a dark colored ghillie suit in the middle of summer while crossing a river?

4. If this was not a bigfoot, then what else would be comparable to the height and size of what he saw that day?

5. Why was he struck with such an immobilizing fear if this were only a person?

After talking with the witness and attempting to eliminate all other possibilities of it being a bear, hiker, etc., it is my opinion that he indeed saw a bigfoot that day.

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About BFRO Investigator Greg Lambert:

Growing up in Pendleton County WV, Greg has been fascinated with the Bigfoot phenomenon ever since he had an incident while hunting in the early 70's. Though he no longer hunts he and his wife enjoy wildlife watching, birding, hiking, camping, kayaking and all things wild in wonderful WV. Greg is a mechanic by trade in the largest turkey processing plant in the US. He has attended BFRO Expeditions WV 2012 & 2013, Kentucky 2013 & 2014, and North Carolina 2014.