College Student Missing After Going to Hide Final Treasure for Scavenger Hunt 2 Years in the Making

Photo: Facebook

A California community is desperately holding on to hope that Hunter Lewis, a 21-year-old aerospace engineering student at Cal State Long Beach, is still alive after he went missing while preparing a treasure hunt.

Lewis has been missing since Dec. 30 after taking his canoe from Trinidad Beach to Flatiron Rock, a small island off the shores of Humboldt County, according to theLos Angeles Times. He had planned a three-day scavenger hunt over the last two years and hoped to place the final treasure on the island during the trip.

“Hunter would say there’s always a reason to hope,” his father, Corey Lewis, wrote on aFacebookpage to set up for updates about his son. “He loved physics and would tell you that the only constant in the universe is [changing] and because things are always changing that means there is always hope they can change for the better. There is always change. There is always hope.”

“Thank you for holding on to hope each and everyone of you,” he said to those who have helped in the search. “Even if I don’t know you I love you.”

AGoFundMecampaign has been created to aid search teams and has raised more than $30,000 as of Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday, theHumboldt County Sheriff’s Officesaid they were conducting an underwater search for Lewis based on “all information gathered.”

Divers with the Humboldt Bay Fire Department, along with members of the HCSO, California State Parks, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, helped in the search, which ultimately ended with no new findings.

“I am so grateful for everyone involved in coordinating today’s efforts to find my son,” Corey Lewiswroteof their efforts. “Whether you were involved in the sonar operations or the dive teams you are heroes to my family.”

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More than 160 people have followed Lewis as he prepared the hunt on his Instagram page, @LostLewisTreasure.

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In anInstagrampost on Dec. 27, Lewis said he had revealed the clues for his scavenger hunt and asked participants to be safe during their search.

“The treasure is now among us! And the clues have been released. Good luck on your hunt. May the best treasure Hunter win,” Lewis said.

“Also be safe out there!” he added. “Don’t do anything too risky. Let me know if there are any problems and I will fix them.”

source: people.com