CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OREGON — The disappearance of Robert Perry Bissell, a 57-year-old experienced outdoorsman from Portland, Oregon, remains an enduring mystery more than a decade after he vanished during a solo camping and fishing trip in the remote Rock Lakes Basin area of the Roaring River Wilderness.
Bissell was reported missing in July 2010 after he failed to return home from a planned wilderness excursion. According to authorities, he informed his family on July 12, 2010, that he intended to spend several days hiking, fishing, and camping alone in the Rock Lakes area, a region he knew well and had previously visited.
Before beginning his trip, Bissell stopped at a Fred Meyer store to purchase fuel for his camping stove. Records indicated that he left the store around 8 p.m. He later parked his 1989 Nissan Sentra near the Shell Rock Lake Trailhead and completed a wilderness permit stating that he planned to enter the area on July 13 and return around July 16.
When Bissell did not return home as expected, his brother, Michael Bissell, traveled to the area to search for him. On July 19, he located Bissell’s vehicle at the trailhead and hiked into the Rock Lakes Basin. There, he discovered his brother’s tent near Middle Rock Lake. Inside were several personal belongings, including a backpack, camping gear, food supplies, maps, and other equipment. However, Bissell’s fishing gear and certain outdoor items were missing.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office subsequently launched an extensive search operation involving deputies, search and rescue teams, K-9 units, aircraft support, and volunteers. Search crews combed the wilderness around Middle Rock Lake, nearby trails, and surrounding terrain but found no confirmed evidence indicating Bissell’s whereabouts.
Investigators received several possible witness reports during the search. Hikers reported seeing a man matching Bissell’s description in the Rock Lakes Basin area around July 13, including a fisherman near Middle Rock Lake. Authorities believed these sightings were likely connected to Bissell and suggested that he had indeed reached the wilderness area after arriving.
Despite exhaustive search efforts, Robert Perry Bissell has never been found. Authorities have considered several possibilities, including an accidental fall, an injury, or other unforeseen circumstances that may have occurred while he was navigating the rugged and remote terrain. No official determination has ever been made regarding what happened to him.
The case remains open, and Robert Perry Bissell’s disappearance continues to be remembered as one of Oregon’s enduring unsolved wilderness mysteries. His family and investigators remain hopeful that new information may one day provide answers about his final days and bring long-awaited closure to those who continue to search for the truth.