The unfortunate missing-turned-death story of Philip Kreycik shook Pleasanton city in Alameda County, California, United States. How did a normal morning trail run turn into a tragic turn of events?
Running and jogging are very popular among Americans, and almost 110 million go for trail running. The statistics keep changing, but it is only increasing day by day.
The reason behind this amelioration is the desire for a healthy lifestyle, consistency in better fitness levels, and destressing the busy day-to-day professional lives.
Philip, an East Bay father and avid runner, went for an early morning trail run on 10 July 2021. Since he was an ultramarathon runner, he was habitual of running for longer distances.
So, what exactly happened? Out of countless yet unbelievable possibilities, authorities tracked each and every prospect.
How was he found?
The father of two children was found under a shady tree after 24 days in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park after he went missing. His beautiful wife was shattered, and her life came crashing down after this news broke down.
At 2, the Harvard pass-out’s wife, Jen Yao, did not find Philip back from the jog and felt something fishy.
What was supposed to happen deviated from it, and the outcome was despairing.
The 37-year-old went for an 8-mile trail run along Pleasanton Ridge. Philip Kreycik parked his car in Moller Ranch Staging Area and left his phone in it.
However, he wore the smartwatch that later helped the team of investigators to preclude various potential outcomes of his demise.
On 10 July, when he did not return from the run, he was declared to be missing. Police investigators, local people, his family, and a team of volunteers all came together to organize a search and rescue operation to track down the missing gentleman.
Next in the Line
However, they were successful in tracing Philip, but he was not alive. Unfortunately, a group of volunteers found him dead under a tree.
Police investigators started to rule out what actually happened to the man. However, his smartwatch answered the questions in a way. Murder, strangulation, robbery, kidnapping, etc., were not the reason for his sudden demise.
In fact, it was the scorching 106 degrees that took his life. The Pleasanton Ridge Trail is popular among hikers, runners, joggers, mountain bikers, and climbers. As a result, it does not see a lot of populace, and the heat is felt the most.
Pleasanton recorded the most heat after a long time on 10 July. As per Philip Kreycik’s watch, after 45 mins, he slowed his pace of running and got drifted from the path.
However, the Pleasanton police authorities sent his body for an autopsy to confirm their declaration. Nothing foul has been found yet, and extreme heat has been considered the reason for his unfortunate death.
What Happened After?
Volunteers created a Facebook Page and Instagram account dedicated to finding the missing Philip Kreycik. All of them, along with his family, put all their efforts into tracking him down.
After his body was found in a vigorously lush region in a remote piece of the recreation area that was a quarter-mile off the designated trail that Kreycik was running on, it was shattering for everyone as it was for his family.
After his death, his wife, Jen, took the Instagram page and expressed her gratitude to everybody who was involved in finding her husband. Also, she shared sweet things about her late husband.
Sadly, this is not the first time and last time, and it’s the most difficult for the left-behind family members who have to live in their absence.
