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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Found items may be Fossett clue | Found items may be Fossett clue |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Items possibly belonging to Steve Fossett, the US adventurer who vanished a year ago, have been found by a hiker in California. | Items possibly belonging to Steve Fossett, the US adventurer who vanished a year ago, have been found by a hiker in California. |
| ID cards, cash and a sweatshirt were among the items found in woods near the town of Mammoth Lakes, in a rugged eastern area of the state. | ID cards, cash and a sweatshirt were among the items found in woods near the town of Mammoth Lakes, in a rugged eastern area of the state. |
| Mr Fossett, 63, vanished in September last year while on a solo flight that took off from neighbouring Nevada. | Mr Fossett, 63, vanished in September last year while on a solo flight that took off from neighbouring Nevada. |
| The millionaire businessman was officially declared dead in February. | |
| Wide-ranging searches had failed to find any trace of Mr Fossett or his plane following his disappearance. | Wide-ranging searches had failed to find any trace of Mr Fossett or his plane following his disappearance. |
| I was wondering, why are there some ID cards and money when there was nothing else? No wallet, no bags, nothing, nothing, nothing Preston Morrow, hiker | |
| The BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani, in Los Angeles, says the items were found outside the vast area searched after Mr Fossett went missing - and also in a different direction to that in which he was thought to have flown off. | |
| Mammoth Lakes has an elevation of about 7,800ft (2,400 metres) and is on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range. | Mammoth Lakes has an elevation of about 7,800ft (2,400 metres) and is on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range. |
| It is about 100 miles (160km) from where Mr Fossett began his flight. | It is about 100 miles (160km) from where Mr Fossett began his flight. |
| Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Randy Schienle told CNN the items were "well-weathered". | Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Randy Schienle told CNN the items were "well-weathered". |
| 'No wreckage' | 'No wreckage' |
| Hiker Preston Morrow told US television he had stumbled upon the items while returning from a mountain walk on Monday. | Hiker Preston Morrow told US television he had stumbled upon the items while returning from a mountain walk on Monday. |
| There were no signs of wreckage from the plane, said Mr Morrow, an employee at a Mammoth Lakes sporting goods store. | There were no signs of wreckage from the plane, said Mr Morrow, an employee at a Mammoth Lakes sporting goods store. |
| "I was coming back down this really steep terrain and what caught my eye was these little (ID) cards in the dirt and the pine needles, and some $100 bills," he said. | "I was coming back down this really steep terrain and what caught my eye was these little (ID) cards in the dirt and the pine needles, and some $100 bills," he said. |
| "I was wondering, why are there some ID cards and money when there was nothing else? No wallet, no bags, nothing, nothing, nothing," he added. | "I was wondering, why are there some ID cards and money when there was nothing else? No wallet, no bags, nothing, nothing, nothing," he added. |
| Mr Morrow said he returned the next day and found the sweatshirt in the same area but was not sure if it was related. | Mr Morrow said he returned the next day and found the sweatshirt in the same area but was not sure if it was related. |
| The missing adventurer's ID cards were reportedly issued by the Federal Aviation Administration in Illinois. | The missing adventurer's ID cards were reportedly issued by the Federal Aviation Administration in Illinois. |
| Michael LoVallo, a lawyer for Mr Fossett's wife, Peggy, said: "We are aware of the reports and are trying to verify the information." | Michael LoVallo, a lawyer for Mr Fossett's wife, Peggy, said: "We are aware of the reports and are trying to verify the information." |
| Mr Fossett took off from the ranch of hotel magnate Barron Hilton, at Yerington, Nevada, on 3 September on a flight that was expected to last three hours. | Mr Fossett took off from the ranch of hotel magnate Barron Hilton, at Yerington, Nevada, on 3 September on a flight that was expected to last three hours. |
| In 2002, he became the first person to circle the globe solo in a balloon and had about 100 other world records to his name. | In 2002, he became the first person to circle the globe solo in a balloon and had about 100 other world records to his name. |