Vanished in the Lair: The Chilling Footage Recovered from a Couple’s Final Bigfoot Encounter
British Columbia is a land of jagged beauty, but its mountains hold a silence that can be predatory. In September 2010, Jonathan Jett, 34, and his fiancée, Rachel Bagnor, 25, drove their Toyota sedan toward Mount Matier, near Pemberton. They were experienced, fit, and deeply in love—planning a three-day trek to celebrate their upcoming marriage. They never returned. Their story is not just one of a missing persons case; it is a tapestry of high-strangeness, chilling video evidence, and a series of disappearances that suggest something in those mountains doesn’t want to be found. Was it a animal attack, a tragic accident, or did they stumble upon something far more sinister?
The Intruder at the Window
The mystery began even before they reached the trailhead. On the night of September 3rd, the couple stayed at a remote inn in Pemberton. Recovered footage from Jonathan’s camera reveals a harrowing scene recorded through their hotel window.
In the grainy, low-light video, a humanoid figure is seen approaching the glass. It doesn’t move like a person; its proportions are off, and its hands appear unnaturally large—long, thick fingers that seem to test the latch of the window. The figure lingers for several minutes, a silent sentinel in the dark, before melting back into the shadows. Jonathan is seen on hotel surveillance later that night, visibly rattled, speaking to the police. The officers found nothing—no footprints, no broken glass.
Strangely, twelve years later, the owner of that very inn also vanished without a trace. It was as if the “shadow” that visited Jonathan and Rachel had returned to collect the only witness left.
The Abandoned Sanctuary
On September 4th, Jonathan parked their car at the base of Mount Matier. When search teams found the vehicle days later, they were met with a riddle. Jonathan’s phone and camera were sitting on the seat. For a couple that obsessed over documenting their travels, leaving these items behind was a red flag of catastrophic proportions.
It suggested a “Hasty Departure”—a moment where the desire to document was overridden by a primal need to run.
The police scrolled through the last photos on the camera. They found beautiful Alpine meadows, followed by a sudden shift. One photo showed a tree that had been “twisted”—not broken by wind, but spiraled as if by immense mechanical force. Another, taken from a distance, showed a dark shape that the police initially dismissed as a bear. But upon closer inspection, the shape was bipedal, standing upright and watching them from a ridge.
The Whistle in the Mist
The second video clip found on the camera is where the story turns truly terrifying. Jonathan is filming deep in the dense, humid forest of the lower slopes. The air is thick with the fog common to BC in September.
Suddenly, the audio captures a sharp, melodic whistle. It is followed by the rhythmic thwack of wood striking wood. Jonathan pans the camera, his breathing heavy. In the distance, a massive dark figure is visible. It isn’t moving. It is simply staring. The camera shakes as Jonathan realizes they are not looking at a bear. The figure is broad-shouldered, towering, and possesses a stillness that feels predatory.
The Search and the “Missing 411” Markers
The search for Jonathan and Rachel was one of the largest in BC history. Three helicopters, dozens of K9 units, and hundreds of volunteers scoured the 2,783-meter peak. They found nothing. No clothing, no blood, no torn fabric.
However, a seasoned tracker named Cavit reported a chilling detail. His rescue dog, a veteran of dozens of missions, suddenly stopped at a specific ravine. The animal began to tremble, its hackles rising, and it sat down, refusing to move forward. It was as if the dog had hit an invisible wall of fear.
The case bears all the hallmarks of a “Missing 411” anomaly:
The Proximity to Water: Mount Matier is surrounded by Alpine lakes and high-humidity valleys.
The Silhouette at the Window: Reports of “Watchers” before a disappearance are common in high-strangeness cases.
The Silent Forest: Jonathan’s final footage captures a forest that has gone “dead”—no bird calls, no squirrels—just the rhythmic wood-knocking of a predator.
Speculation: The Separation
A leading theory among independent investigators is that the couple was “shadowed” down the mountain. Bigfoot tribes are known in Indigenous lore to use intimidation tactics—whistling and rock-throwing—to herded humans.
It is possible that Jonathan and Rachel reached the car in a state of panic. Jonathan may have thrown the camera and phone inside, preparing to drive, only to realize Rachel wasn’t right behind him. He likely went back into the mist to find her, leaving the car unlocked and the keys in the ignition. In the fog and the fear, the mountain swallowed them both.
Conclusion: The Long Wait
Fourteen years have passed. Jonathan’s father still posts reward notices, refusing to let the memory of his son fade into a cold case file. “I want him to come home like a soldier,” he said in a recent interview. “Even if it’s just his remains.”
But the Gates of the Arctic and the peaks of British Columbia do not give up their dead easily. Jonathan and Rachel were medical students and volunteers—people of compassion and science. They went into the woods to find peace before their wedding. Instead, they found a reality that science refuses to acknowledge.
Today, Mount Matier remains a destination for elite climbers, but those who know the story of the Jett-Bagnor disappearance keep their eyes on the treeline. They know that the fog holds more than just moisture, and the whistles in the dark are not always the wind.
