where is jesse galganov? | hiker missing in the mountains 

I have a son about the same age. No matter how old your kids get, they are still your baby. This poor woman.

As someone who lives in the Andes Mountains, I can attest to the fact that far too many tourists ignore the effects of high altitude.

SO sad. He's dead on the mountain somewhere.

Bless this mother, to have such a special son and to lose him so horribly.

he's probably laying 50 yards off the trail

I believed this man died, sad. Do not hike in strange places alone.

I was in touch with his mother a few months ago ... I was never able to go forward with an episode because at the time my computer broke then a week later my laptop got stolen. I am so glad you covered his story!!! You do GREAT work. If you ever want to collab I'm in West Tennessee!

I don’t think there was any foul play in his disappearance just human error unfortunately.

Jesse was a brilliant young man but he didn't prepare correctly for that hike. No guide, wasn't aware of altitude sickness ? Going alone is not always wise. This is one of those unfortunate outcomes. Sad.

I hope one day we will know what happened to Jesse. He looks like such a kind person. I can't help but feel like he did succumb to altitude sickness. I agree with another commenter that no one should hike alone; it's so easy for things to turn south... Thanks for another great video. Keep up the awesome work.

Off topic: thank you heavy casefiles for the low key and low volume background music. It's a VERY pleasant change from most YT channels that use music that is totally inappropriate or so loud it's hard to hear the narration, or both. It's kinda the "icing on the cake" for an already excellent video.

Why did so many people see him in obvious distress & do nothing to help? I understand that the French hikers stayed w/him long enough to see him improve, but what about the others that saw him in worse condition & they just carried out?

Just pouring tears!! To find out a son was sick and alone WOULD JUST KILL A MOTHER. And God bless his wonderful dad, too. They need to make cell phones locatable even if they're off.

wow 2 million dollars in search efforts? 500 grand in reward money? My parents wouldn`t have sprung for flashlight batteries to look for me

This is so sad. Just like swimming, never do it alone. My heart goes out to his family.

ok but who just leaves a lone man on a trail where he is visibly stuggling/ill?! even if he was too "prideful" to accept help, I would force him to stay with me and my friend while someone gets help :( be safe everyone♡

I've been to Huaraz before and done trekking in the Cordillera Blanca region, Huascaran national park. Although the altitude isn't as high as other place's I've visited, The Andean terrain is VERY rugged, Very sharp ascents and descents and a good amount of switchbacks. This can ultimately result in a very rapid onset of Altitude sickness, even at lower elevations... Many people I passed were evidently struggling on the trails. I'm an experienced high altitude hiker so I usually never have any issues. But people attempt this trek with 0 experience.. This is not a beginners introduction into altitude hiking let me tell you that, and especially not without a guide who can monitor and educate you.... Early symptoms such as headache and extreme thirst should not be ignored, as continuing to ascend will result in a degradation of cognitive state. The body is put into a hypoxic state and Delirium, confusion follows, that in itself is dangerous enough. I believe this guy didn't respect his symptoms and then it reached a point of no return. He most likely became incredibly confused and wandered off the trail, got lost and eventually succumbed to the elements, or potentially fell to his death. it's quite sad, but it highlights the need for foreign travellers to do their due diligence when visiting very different parts of the world.

No matter what, a Mother is grieving for her missing son. Prayer to the family. xoxoxo

I understand the father who clings onto the abduction theory. But in the real world we all know that we are dealing with an unfortunate hiking tragedy. Lacking preparation, witnesses who saw him completely exhausted and drained... I mean come on.

He's so lucky to be such a well -loved young man, with a family prepared to go to any lengths to try to trace his whereabouts.

So let me get this straight. He clearly was getting ill from the altitude, but decided to keep going higher and continue his Trek??? After the night with the French hikers he should have descended.

That's so sad 😞 I think Jesse probably couldn't combat his illness and died eventually. Maybe wild animals ate his body and carried his belongings away. It's so sad that all that could have been prevented if he had a guide and was better prepared! Hope his remains are found so his family can get some peace!

Missing 411. Don't hike alone.

My own youngest daughter died at the age of 26. The pain is unbearable and I know very well what his parents are going through. We are not wired to outlive our children. As a person that is sometimes empathic in situations like this , I can’t help but feel that the young man is no longer with us. I’m pretty sure he isn’t far from the last place he was seen. He needed water, he was not thinking straight. He stopped to rest and never woke up. God bless him and his family. I pray that his body is found for closure. I really think he is much closer than they think. He went off trail delusional in search of water. 1/2 mile from his last known sighting. The poor kid! I will pray for his family and his location. 🌹

Wow, this woman is something! She must be incredibly strong. She didn't sit around and wait for news, she searched and did everything she could to find her son. That's fucking mom of the century right there. My heart breaks for her and all she's been through.

I also experienced altitude sickness on my first trip to Peru, despite taking the local remedies of sorojchi and coca tea. Even though I'd been at equally high elevations, this time was different. I almost tripped and fell down a mountain pass; I was sure no one would find me for quite some time. Hopefully someday Jesse's remains or some trace of him will be found.

Thanks for the new upload, your one of the best on RU-vid 🌹

I feel terrible for this family but it is so important to never hike alone. I hope this case is solved.

Sadly, it would appear that he took on a challenge greater than he was prepared for. Hiking alone in an unfamiliar, challenging, place- not a good idea. Like the young woman (Ani Ashekian) who disappeared at the beginning of her solo journey through Asia: after a number of successes with challenging adventures, he may have become overconfident in his abilities.

So many people die on hiking trails, I bet he is dead and some day someone will find his remains. He probably fell off some cliff looking for water he may have spotted far below. So no one came across his body so far.

It breaks my heart to think how much (more) good he could have brought the world. His kindness and beauty shone through the photos. Rest well, sweet Jesse.

Thank you for the respectful and empathetic way you tell these tragic stories.

If you ever meet anyone who seems sick on a high-altitude trail, you should always abandon your trek and help them. Unfortunately on trails like this many people are newbies without the necessary experience to act properly. It's also important to carry a rescue beacon which can call in help by satellite - many of these tragedies could be avoided if people would only carry the right emergency gear. Finally, never underestimate the dangers of altitude. Understand the proper acclimation protocols and never shortcut them. Know the symptoms and retreat rapidly to lower levels as soon as you feel them coming on. - this is not the time to be macho and push on.

My daughter, 28, loves to travel to foreign countries and hike the trails, oftentimes off the beaten path. She has been doing this for several years now. First thing tomorrow I'm going out and buying her the best satellite phone on the planet, I don't care how much it costs.

1. I headstrong man decides to walk a trail, and ignores all the advice people give him. 2. Father is in denial. Thinking someone kiddnapped his son, instead of him dying on the trail because he was an id -- ill prepared. 3. Loved one sells most of their belongings, for searching costs. 4. Sues the park, even though they didn't nothing wrong. Basically, taking their frustration out on them. Just sad all around.

This is incredibly sad but also a warning to young people not to overestimate themselves or their physical conditions. It seems that Jesse made some very bad decisions and should never have attempted taking that trail alone and without a guide. I do not know what happened to him but I fear that he became delirious and wandered off the trail, lacked water and collapsed somewhere out of sight. What a tragic story, I am so sorry for him and his mother - my heart goes out to both. 💕

Hard to imagine a more rugged and remote place to enjoy a hike! Caveat ambulator.

I believe he got confused on trail,due to altitude sickness and walked into oblivion ,so sad for such a young man. Many prayers to him and his family and friends.

Praying for his mother, God bless her.

*This is similar to the Dutch girls who died in Panama. You have to respect nature - trekking is not a stroll in the park. If you haven't done it before get a Guide!! The locals will tell you not to trek alone for a reason. Nature looks beautiful in pictures but its survival of the fittest. If you don't know what you're doing it will consume you.* *Hope their famalies get peace.*

There was a few different breakdowns here: Humankind (someone should have called emergency services if they saw him struggling), Peruvian National Park (Not keeping accurate records and not having employees in the park occasionally looking for these types of incidents) , and the hiker himself (due to inexperience and not hiring a guide in an unfamiliar space). I don’t believe Jessie was kidnapped. Just a set of unfortunate experiences.

As much as I understand the motivation to want to travel & see the world I cant help but think with the recent tragic circumstances of multiple people traveling to different countries. Please consider the dangers of international travel. If you still feel the need to go then ensure you take proper precautions to help keep yourself as safe as possible. Its imperative that future travelers learn from stories like this. While NO one place is 100% safe, you can make better choices & judgements to increase your odds of being safe. Above ALL never go anywhere totally ALONE.

What an absolute waste he had so much to offer. And his poor family! What a absolutely dedicated wonderful mum.

Looking at the pictures of his mom n him just tears my heart out.. She looks so calm and happy in the pictures with her baby.. Can’t imagine how she’s going thru all this .. without a closure.. every time the doorbell / cell rings her heart may be skipping a beat. Hope someday he and other missing persons just by Divine Miracle come home. 😔

I cannot imagine losing a loved one this way. Not knowing would be such torture. I’m so sad for Jesse’s family. I pray he’s found soon.

This is so sad, i never heard about his case! Thank you for highlighting this case!😭😭

Thanks Heavy Casefiles, great work as always.

So sad. The Peru authorities probably didn't want to ruin their tourism industry by admitting he was attacked or that it was dangerous in the park. BUT after hearing how they handled this case I will tell everyone I know to never EVER go to Peru as if something happens the authorities will cover it up and not cooperate and they can't even provide any searches if you should get lost.

I cannot fathom the agony his family is going through. The fact that none of his things have ever been found seems to indicate that there are more people who possibly came contact with him beyond Oct 1st at 3:30p, if only to rob him of his possessions.

If you are hiking in a remote area, especially alone, it is a good investment to carry a GPS transponder. Garmin has one, and also Spot 3. They upload GPS signals to a map, tracking ones progress and some will send out emergency signals for SAR if you get in trouble. I understand that area was remote for cell service, but these tools work with Satellite. Also, solo hiking is fun, but it is best done in areas where there is a lot of traffic like the AT or in an area you are really familiar with. Otherwise the bubby system is always the fundamental rule of safety with hiking, especially in places that have risky terrain.

Thank you for doing these.

That cell phone companies needed more than a police report of a missing person is sad, I would like to think that a request from Interpol would be enough. What I know about cell phone data the "local cell site data, cell phone autonomous registrations, cell towers where the cell was logged, etc., are not kept long. Cell CALL data is stored but location data is fluid and temporary, time would have been critical, by not complying immediately the details would be lost forever. Only the billing information would remain. So frustrating!

Altitude sickness is no joke. I've only experienced it once, and I'm so thankful my dad was there. I hope that Jesse is OK, but I have a feeling he's probably dead. I hope his family finds his body and gets some peace. ❤

You always find new cases ty!

Thanks for posting! I've heard of Jesse's story before, but I think this is the first time I heard how sickly he had been during his hike. 😟 I hope he's found.

thank you thank you thank you for getting the word on this case out. jesse was close with several of my friends and the whole scenario is so heartbreaking for them and for his family.

Sad case but covered brilliantly. He cannot be too far from that last sighting. Snow moving down may of moved his remains into an unexpected place. I hope the family can get closure.

To the mother and Father.God Bless you both. You have gone through great pain and struggle . Your Son Jessie seem like an incredible young man. He could of changed the world. Now you both can change it. He plight will not be in vain nor yours as well.demanding new laws and regs are in place for the next young men and women doing the trek is so important! Your story will change the lives of Others Hopefuly prepping and taking a legit guide can be life saving.Thank for sharing your story.Iss

Years ago when I was a young man, my wife and I traveled to White sands New Mexico and played around the dunes for most of the day. We headed out in early afternoon for Alamogordo and then Cloudcroft and stopped at a turnout high in the mountains. We left the car and walked to the edge of a steep cliff and we could see a river about 200 yds. down below. Me being young and foolish I just had to hike down and take a look. Going down was no problem, took maybe five minutes...took me almost forty five to get back up and when I got there I was as white as a ghost, hot, nauseous and just sick feeling....7,000 ft. will do that to a flatlander...altitude is no joke.

Wow - those service providers were so helpful, they should be proud☹😲

Tmobile SUCKS unless you’re in/around a major city or interstate highway. Can’t imagine it works well in Peru. Please, please....if you ever decide to backpack in rural areas, bring a satellite GPS communications device. Its just too dangerous.

Thank you for bringing this case to the forefront. A very sad and heartbreaking case. I’m so sorry for Jesse and his family and friends. So many young men embark on these hiking trips to foreign countries alone. While they do have experience hiking some more so than others they mistakenly believe the hike to be less difficult than it is especially when doing it alone. Some countries aren’t equipped to handle complex missing persons cases while other countries don’t put much effort into finding missing people or the PD’s and govt’s are corrupt so they don’t want to get involved. Hikers, backpackers, and tourists should always have a traveling partner or go with a group. Especially when going to remote areas, places/areas where they could easily get lost, and places where they could be in some kind of danger. This seems simple and not worth mentioning but these things happen way too often. Until it was said that the French hikers camped next to him I was thinking what his father thinks happened to him. With that info I agree with his mother. Maybe one day against the odds they will find their son alive. If not at least find his body so they can bring him home for a proper burial.

All those people seen the poor man sick and did nothing !Seems unbelievable !I couldn't leave no one like that.pray god brings him home .are father in heaven bring peace to his family bring there lovely son home🙏🏾

Great story. Your channel has really grown!! Good for you!

I am impressed with the quality of reporting in this video. Brava!

Excellent video! Thank you! I do hope they find Jesse! I cant imagine how the mothers of missing individuals feel. The parents,friends, family. To Everyone involved , its got to be the most awful and traumatic thing. My prayers are will them ❤

So great to see another video from heavy casefiles! So sorry to hear about Jesse though.

That poor lady she must be distraught, such a great son full of promise ! God bless you all 🙏 I’ll pray for you !!

This js so sad. He is probably lying somewhere off the trail. God bless his soul.

he looks like a very nice and trusting young man. those with privileged upbringing sometimes dont quite understand how harsh the real world is.

Well done. Well researched. The confusing thing about this one is that Jesse G was an experienced hiker. So am I. I have been in situations where I started getting altitude sickness. Realizing the potential danger, whenever that has happened to me I make a retreat for lower ground. I can't understand him continuing on to the point that he became disoriented. For me the symtoms of severe headache, insomnia, loss of appetite, etc all start and are evident before getting disoriented. As odd as this sounds, years ago my son and I were backpacking in the John Muir Wilderness and had our Australian Shepherd dog get sick from the altitude. Never knew that could happen to dogs. We were at 11600 FT and by the forth day he was having trouble standing or walking more than a few feet. We broke camp and headed to lower ground. The dog was so weak that I had to carry him, but much of his strength and vigor returned as soon as we dropped below 9500 ft. He lived several years after that.

Thank you for what you do. After I watch you I find myself looking at faces in stores...gas stations...anywhere I am just in case I recognize anybody.

Poor Jesse 😞. I hope they find him. Not having closure is the worst thing a person can endure. He looked like he was full of life such a sad case indeed. He should have turned around and went down the mountian as soon as he felt sick. He must've pushed himself to death and his body hasn't been found yet! Idk it's sad 😥...Thanks again for sharing this story. You always share cases never heard of, and for that...we truly thank you!!!! BLESSINGS...and prayers for Jesse and his family. 🙏 ❤ 😥

Love your videos. Your voice is relaxing as well

I've always liked your channel. Love the music, the graphics, and your narration. Hope you keep going!

So much hope and promise for that family gone. And the possibilities of what happened are tragically endless. My heart goes out to his family. This case reminds me a bit of Cody Dial. For a couple of years his family was stone cold convinced foul play had occurred, but in the end, finally discovered Cody had been fatally hit by a fallen tree in the jungle. I hope there is a resolution and they receive the answers they so desperately deserve. Telling these stories is such an amazing service that you provide for the missing and their families! Thank you hcf!

So sad. He probably became disoriented and walked off from the trail, and died from exposure or falling from a cliff. I hope they find his remains someday so his family gets answers and some peace of mind.

Yeah...he got sick, got off the trail and died in his sleep somewhere.

Your video was on my recommended list and I’m pleased it was! Great vid so liked and subscribed 👍🏻

Your video popped up and I never new just how many people go missing every year. I DID SUBSCRIBE AND TURNED ON NOTIFICATIONS. thanks for your show . I hope it will help someone to find anyone who is missing. Thank you from lutz,Florida

OK all signs point to Jesse succumbing to altitude sickness and dying. We have witnesses who seen him suffering from symptoms of altitude sickness, and he disappears on the hike. The most logical and reasonable thing to conclude would be that, yet his father is convinced he was abducted and being forced into manual labor? Right..

As a mother of a son, this 💔 my heart. I pray for all the missing & their families. I think that not having a body to recover would hurt me more than the not knowing what happened. Either way is painful.

such a sad case, excellent video as usual!

I was hit by mild altitude sickness in Colorado and man does it suck!!! But I wasn’t alone in a foreign country and felt better once we got down to lower elevation by car! I feel terrible for the guy and his family.

Sad topic but great vid as usual

If he was in Peru he should’ve just hiked the Inca Trail. It’s well maintained and you can’t even get on it without a guide.

I look forward for Sundays because that means a new video from you.

This is truly heartbreaking story and I’m deeply troubled by it . I am super impressed with the hard effort of his parents and pray they get some closure. ! Good luck my heart goes out to both !

Moral of the story....do not travel or hike alone especially in South America.

That is such a sad situation God bless the whole family

Such a good piece of documentation. Having binged watched many of your earlier videos I just think the effort you put into your works is simply splendid. Thank you and I look forward to your future pieces. Also this is a very sad story as Jesse had planned the trip so well...even having purchased the bus ride that "never happened".. but he did not think to hire a guide?????? Going into unknown wildernesses by yourself is very foolish...

Another great video, good job!

Hey, heavy casefiles would you do unsolved cases from all 50 states?

pre-med, but yet doesnt fathom the dangers of altitude sickness while being alone in a country far, far away. as Anthony Hopkins once said in a movie "some people die from shame".

What a nightmare. I own all the Missing 411 books, and this story is certainly as heartbreaking as any I've read. Excellent presentation. I rank it a 9.5 due to good writing, good photos, included hiking map.

Glad I stumbled on this channel today. Very well done. So sad though. Always hope for happy endings.

God protect him where is he? I will keep him deeply in my prayers for him and his dear family

If only he had gone straight to medical school.

Good work..Thank you.

Can't imagine the pain his family is going through! I really hope they could find their son. No family should go thru life without knowing about their child.