Dear Friends,

The National Park authorities have stopped searching for Thomas. Just like the Alaska State Troopers, they also say that they would continue the search if it was their loved one who was missing.

So, the plan is to continue searching from the air until there is enough snow on the ground to do a search via snow mobile and tracking. Therefore we hired a pilot again. He also works for

the authorities and is known to be a very safe and responsible flyer.

Thank you so much for all the support that is being extended to us. I’m grateful for all the kind words and actions!

If anybody would still like to contribute financially, here is the info:

Please send a check made out to Recovery Fund for Thomas Seibold and send it to First National Bank, PO Box 627, Three Lakes, WI 54562.

Hugs from Makwa
Posted by:
 
On facebook 

2012.14.12
Hello Friends and Family, Below is a press release explaining where we are at with Thomas's search.
Would you please forward the release to your friends and any media contacts you have? Sending you love always, Lety

Press Release: Update on Seibold Search and Rescue, Alaska, 12-7-12

Background:
On November 11, 2012, the Alaska State Troopers Kotzebue post, located in northwest Alaska, was notifi
ed that Thomas Seibold, an instructor at Wisconsin's Teaching Drum Outdoor School, did not board his scheduled flight home on that day. The Troopers, headed up by Sgt. Duane Stone, immediately launched a search. Since September 15, Thomas had been staying at a cabin on the upper Ambler River, in the Brooks Range just outside Gates of the Arctic National Park. The last known person to see Thomas was the cabin's owner, who left the area on September 29.
In a search of the cabin, Troopers found Thomas's diary. The last entry was October 7, where he stated he was preparing to go on a several-day exploration. The Troopers found no evidence of him being at the cabin after that approximate date.
An instructor at Wisconsin's Teaching Drum Outdoor School, Thomas was highly trained in primitive survival skills, including building snow shelters, ice safety, making fire by rubbing two sticks together, and orienteering without map or compass. He had camping experience in minus 25°F temperatures.

After six flights over 13 days, which included a ground search of the cabin area and one other spot, the Troopers suspended their search on November 24. It was taken up by family and friends, who weren't ready to give up on Thomas. They read about successful rescues of others who survived in Arctic conditions for up to 49 days without food, equipment, or training, and Thomas had at least some of all three. The family and friends contracted privately with two of the bush pilots previously employed by the Troopers

Update:
On November 29, the Troopers handed over Thomas's remaining belongings from the cabin to next of kin. An assessment of those belongings and subsequent interviews with Ambler-area residents who met Thomas revealed three new clues:
• A missing map section that Thomas may have with him indicates he had an interest in exploring the headwaters of the Imelyac, Amakomanek, Cutler, and Redstone Rivers, along with the Ambler.
• When the cabin owner left, Thomas handed her a book he had just finished reading: The Last Light Breaking, by Nick Jans. A well-worn section describes the traditional Eskimo routes through the same headwaters area as on the missing map.
• Area residents told Thomas alluring stories of the headwaters area's beauty and wildlife, and Thomas read several other books on the area, including Seth Kantner's bestsellers.
A quote from Thomas's last diary entry: "After I've read a lot about…this area, it's exciting to actually be here, and to see the things with my own eyes."

Only 25% of the 20 by 30 mile headwaters area has been searched. Most of it lies in National Park Service land, in the Noatak National Preserve and the Gates of the Arctic National Park. To shift the search to those areas, Park Service cooperation will be sought. In addition, a ground search utilizing professional trackers and snowmobiles is being organized.

The family welcomes contributions to help meet expenses. Checks made out to Recovery Fund for Thomas Seibold can be sent to First National Bank, PO Box 627, Three Lakes, WI 54562

For more details:
Sgt. Duane Stone: 907-442-3222
Tamarack Song (Teaching Drum Outdoor School Director): 715-546-2944

This press release was prepared by the family and friends of Thomas Seibold, 7124 Military Road, Three Lakes, WI 54562

Posted by:  
 
Teaching Drum Outdoor School
 
On facebook 

2012.07.12
http://wickershamsconscience.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/thomas-seibold-lost-but-not-necessarily-dead/

Thanks dearest friends for all your thoughts, prayers, for laying kinnikinik and asemaa. Your words of encouragement, your financial contr

ibutions, your stories of others who have experienced similarly; all these fuel our fires and help us
to continue searching.
Makwa and I returned from Kotzebue, AK without Thomas, but not empty-handed. We returned with an intimate understanding of the lay of the land, of what it is like to be up in the air searching, full of ideas of where to look next, where to look again. We returned enriched by kindred relationships that continue to bloom and that empower our quest for Thomas in that vast and rugged land.
Thanks to our new Alaskan friends we were able to continue the air search in conjunction with Wilderness Park Rangers whose passionate and indomitable spirits mirror the lands they steward.
I still haven't figured a way to post a map of the area showing where we have searched so far, but Leah is back for a short spell, so I'll check if her expertise can help us cross that bridge.
I am attaching a link to an inspiring Alaskan story of search and rescue. Two people surviving temperatures of -40 for 49 days without much food.
Your love fills our sails!
overflowing,
Lety
Posted by:
 
 
On facebook
 
2012.06.12 
Dearest Friends,

The search still continues in areas both previously covered and not covered, looking for Thomas. We have not given up. Both Lety and Makwa have returned from Alaska having spent time with many helpful, wonderful friends up there all putting time and energy into the search. We are all ever grateful, and will continue to keep you posted.


Teaching Drum Outdoor School

Posted by:
 
 
On facebook
 
2012.05.12
 
Alaskan Full Moon Greetings Dearest Friends,
Makwa and I are in Kotzebue Alaska! Thanks to the generosity of a Guardian Angel we found ourselves in a whirlwind of a dream driving to Minneapolis, flying south through Phoenix, Arizona, on to Anchorage, sleeping for two hours and landing in Kotzebue. A few hours later we were in a small Cesna 206 with three other 'spotters' scouring crevices, ridges,


and valleys of a fork on the Ambler river looking for any sign that might lead us to Thomas.
No words can describe the unfathomable beauty of this country, or the experience that we now share with those who have been searching before us. Long after my eyes were drained of focus and the contents of my stomach were stowed away in a baggie, my heart tenaciously continued to spread a net of love filling every crevice with a call for Thomas, listening intently for any little catch on the fabric. Nothing and everything...nothing because I didn't catch one singular tug that pointed me in a particular direction. Everything because every spruce, every cranny, every nuance of color in the ribbons of streams and rock and texture of snow, every whisp of cloud and blue sky, every fleeting bird and caribou track called back "I AM HERE." I AM HERE.
The full moon rose as the red sun set in a blaze of passionate reds, and oranges, pinks and purples, and slowly transitioned to calming pastels reflected on the ice floes below. We had our first full night of sleep after a dinner of moose and seal meat and fat, salmon eating grizzly bear fat that tastes just like that, and delicious kinnikik berries (bearberries) in bear fat--that was desert. Our contribution to the feast was manoomin, the good seed and dried wild leeks from Wisconsin.
Today we will meet with Sargent Stone of the AK State Troopers and then head back to the Ambler River to follow a couple more leads from the air while the weather holds out.
All your love and support buoys us as we continue the search. Here in AK people are so kind and generous even though they have never met us. I can see how the Gifting Way is alive and thriving and I'm inspired beyond my wildest fantasies.

For those of you who have offered financial support, we have established a fund. This is how you can proceed: Send a check or money order made out to: Recovery Fund for Thomas Seibold. and send it to First National Bank. P.O. Box 627. Three Lakes, WI 54562

Love and gratitude overflowing,
 
Lety
 
 
Posted by:
 
 
On facebook
 
2012.29.11
 
Lety Seibel
A quick update dearest Friends,
Troopers found NO sign on their last day of flight. Today two private planes flew tight grids over areas that called to us as not having been completely checked out. One of the pilots, an expert tracker landed by the cabin and also by the circle and explored the area on foot.

A friend in Anchorage is flying Makwa and I to Kotzebue tomorrow to get up in

the air and see and feel if we can detect Thomas via the connection that we have with him. We just found out we were traveling today, so we're scrambling to get suited-up, packed, and out of here by 6 a.m.

Makwa is taking her computer, so perhaps we'll be able to post from AK. We plan to be there until Sunday. We'll keep you posted.

Thanks always for your cherishing Presence and support,
Lety Seibel
 
Posted by:
 
 
On facebook
 
2012.26.11 
Dear Friends,
Today the Alaska State Troopers will fly once more to cover the last two remaining areas that haven’t been searched. They say they were able to see into these areas form the side, yet there are some canyons in there that would require being right above them to really see into them. They are mostly doing this flight because Thomas’ family requested it and because of all of your calls.

Thank you for helping make this happen! I will try to upload a map so you can see the areas that have been searched. The areas in pink are the targeted areas for today.
We also have private flights lined up to search the complete search area again if they don’t find Thomas today. Many of you have asked how you can help with the rescue effort financially, so we have set up a relief fund account through the First National Bank of Eagle River and will post more details regarding that today.

Please continue to send energy to Thomas so that he can make himself known to the search group and so they will see him.

Heartfelt Thanks to each and every one of you for being Present with us through this experience!
Breathing in love and exhaling gratitude,

Lety

p.s. the photo uploading is not working because it is on a pdf file. I'll seek technical help when tech people are around...

Posted by:

On facebook

2012.11.24
We have not given up. Although our hearts are getting heavier, and grief begins to seep in around hope, we are calling Alaskan senators and keeping the hope alive, pushing for one last search in areas we haven't covered yet, closer to the cabin that Thomas used as a base camp. We are all grateful for your continued support and your loving energy.

Posted by:

Teaching Drum Outdoor School

On facebook

2012.11.23
Dear Friends,
The search group yesterday found no sign of Thomas. They are trying to call off the search. Through studying the search map,google earth, Thomas letters and becoming Thomas Tamarack found some areas that haven’t been searched. We are requesting the troopers to fly those areas. We understand that they have already done much more than they usually do and yet we can’t leave these areas unsearched since there is still a chance that Thomas is hunkered down in there.
Please continue to send energy to Thomas so that he can make himself known to the search group. Also, if you feel called to, please contact Alaska's congressmen to support the continuation of the search. Below is some information to help with the call. Even though personal calls are the most effective way to get across, e-mail is good too and Twitter is probably most likely to get across on Thanksgiving. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT and love! Breathing in Love and exhalin gratitude,
Lety Zinnia Seibel
Dear Governor/Senator, I'm contacting you on Thanksgiving because my friend Thomas Seibold is lost in the western Brooks Range north of Ambler. Friends and family have been working closely with Sgt. Stone of the Alaska State Troopers coordinating the search and rescue effort. Search and Rescue is considering calling off the search. We still have hope because Thomas is an experienced outdoorsman with years of training to survive in cold, remote environments. If anyone could survive the elements out there for this long, it's him, and with temperatures around -40 every single hour is of the essence. Please urge the Alaska State Troopers to continue to search the quadrants they haven't flown over yet. If he is injured or stranded he is counting on us.

Thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.

______________
Governor Sean Parnell
Phone (907) 465-3500
http://www.facebook.com/Alaska.Governor
governor@alaska.gov
@AKGovParnell

Senator Lisa Murkowski
Main: 907-456-0233
http://www.facebook.com/SenLisaMurkowski
http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EMailLisa
@LisaMurkowski

Senator Mark Begich
phone. (907) 456 - 0261
http://www.facebook.com/Begich
http://begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailsenator
@SenatorBegich
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell
The Parnell Administration clears paths of opportunity for Alaskans. Since becoming governor in July of 2009, Governor Sean Parnell has focused on growing Alaska’s economy and strengthening families. Governor Parnell advances Alaskan’s interests by adhering to our state's constitutional priorities:...

Posted By:

On facebook

2012.11.23
The facebook page from this here.

We are right now working with the Alaskan state troopers to make one last search in some higher elevation areas closest to the cabin he was last known to have been in. They are only just under twelve miles from the cabin, but they weren't searched thoroughly because there had been sign of him elsewhere farther out-which turned out to leave no clues. It is possible that he got stuck or hurt on his way in or out.

Our hearts go out to all of the flyers, troopers and trackers who have been a part of this effort.

Posted by:

On facebook

2012.11.22
We are very sad to report that we have not found him yet. Planes may fly again, but temperatures are now dropping to 40 below 0 at night. We will share more when we know more. Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, intentions, and love and support. You have our deepest gratitude.

Posted by: 

Teaching Drum Outdoor School

On facebook

2012.11.22
We Need You Now:

Caring Circle,

Today is the big day in the search for Thomas--the Alaska State Troopers are putting everything they have into this one last effort to find him. If they
find no sign today, they will probably call off the s

earch. Up until now,
they have been flying a two-seater Super Cub, a slow-flying plane which did
fine in the valleys, but it had trouble negotiating the winds in the
highlands--which is where Thomas was drawn to. Today they have a Piper
Navajo, a six seater, so they can put four or five spotters up in the air.
Let's send all the energy we can to those spotters--they are our eyes, our
intent, our determination. Please take time throughout the day to support
this last great effort in whatever way works for you, whether it be
intention, meditation, prayer. as long as the air crew feels it and Thomas
is energized by it. And please contact people you know and ask them to join
with us. Thomas needs us today more than he ever has.

Tamarack

Posted by:

Teaching Drum Outdoor School
On facebook
2012.11.20 
This may be the final big push from the Alaska State Troopers in the official search for Thomas. They'll be flying the highlands today, where it seems he might have set up camp based on the letters found in the cabin. Please hold space for Thomas especially today, and contact anyone you know to pray, send positive energy, and envision that he and the plane meet. Between All Our Relations there are literally thousands of people around the world in spirit with the eyes in the sky. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for your support.

Posted by:

Alyosha Wilding

On facebook
 
2012.11.20
Dear Friends,
I’m deeply grateful for the energy that’s put out for Thomas and the support offered to all of us involved in the search. If any of you are interested in looking the area up on google maps, please use the following places as directories:
Ambler, AK
Kobuk, AK
Shungnak River, AK
Ulaneak Creek, AK
Nushralutak Creek, AK

Northwest Arctic, AK

Here is an update on the search for Thomas Seibol

d. After three days of searching one plane found a circle drawn on a gravel bar far up the Ambler River, 8 miles N of Ulaneak creek. They landed and checked out whether it could be the “O” from SOS, yet found no indication that the circle was connected to sending an alarm sign. Thomas could have made the sign for himself to mark a place where he left provisions. Because the circle has such strong meaning to Thomas we think there's a high likelihood that he etched the sign. The plane returned to the site a day later to explore the surrounding area for more clues and to take photos to send us for inspection and wider perspective. A wide area of surrounding valleys has been very carefully searched. Troopers returned to the cabin two days ago and found some unfinished personal letters and his dream journal which were scanned and e-mailed to us. In them he describes his hiking and camping higher up in the mountains exploring for a camp site. He also talked about cleaning and preparing wood at the cabin for the colder weather ahead, which intimates that he was planning to return to the cabin. Then he wrote about his plans to hike out for further exploration and that is where the letters ended. The last date on his dream journal was Oct. 7. The cabin search also revealed that Thomas does not have a gun with him. Temperatures are now 35 degrees F below zero and pilots fear the low temperatures could create equipment malfunctions and further endangering of lives. For these reasons the state is thinking of calling the search off. Tamarack is working with them hoping they will further collaborate in the search while keeping safety of pilots and trackers at the forefront.

As long as there is an inkling of a chance that Thomas is alive, we will not give up on him. We have hired a private pilot and plane to work independently or alongside the Alaska State Troopers in order to cover more ground. We would like to have planes search along some peaks, as Thomas expressed the delight he experiences at those higher altitudes in his letters.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and support. Please continue to send your good energy, lay down tobacco, and prayers for Thomas that he may persevere if he is still alive on this earth.

Love and Blessings to each and every one of you dearest friends,

Lety

Posted by:
Teaching Drum Outdoor School
On facebook
2012.11.20 
 
Friends and Family-- We are all praying for Thomas Seibold, a yearlong graduate, staff member, and loved one of the Teaching Drum community. He is missing in the Alaskan Bush, now over seven days late for his expected arrival back in town. There is an extensive SAR effort happening right now. He could be injured or lost. His last known time of being alive was October 7th. He was due out of the bush no later than November 10th. Please keep your prayers going for him.

Posted by:

Teaching Drum Outdoor School

On Facebook

2012.11.18
In the beginning of September Thomas Seibold went with a couple of friends to their remote wilderness cabin in the Brooks Range of Alaska. The friends left on September 26 and Thomas utilized their cabin as a base from which to explore and set up a primitive camp further into the bush. He was expected to be back in touch between the end of October/ beginning of November with Nov 10th being the cut
off date to catch his flight back to Wisconsin on Nov. 15. It is clear that something happened which prevented Thomas from following his plans of trekking 30 miles to the town of Kobuk, where he would take his plane back to Fairbanks and then on to Wisconsin.
From here, we are working intensively with the search parties brainstorming ideas, gleaning information from letters he wrote, poring over maps, and becoming Thomas to envision what he might have done. Over there, a ground and aerial search is underway, three days ago the SAR (search and rescue) team inspected the cabin where he stayed with his friends and found that he had taken most of his gear including at least one 22 caliber rifle and enough meat and provisions to last him a while, but found no sign to guide them to his whereabouts. Due to the severe weather conditions (-23 degrees F), the short daylight hours and remoteness of the locale, the search troop is encountering various logistical challenges and due to intense winds have not been able to get the planes to the target areas (which were identified by local friends whom he discussed his plans with) for the last two days. Snowmobiles are not able to undertake the search because there are only 3 inches of snow on the mountainous terrain. For these reasons we have no further news. Please send Thomas positive energy and strength and keep him in your thoughts and meditations.
We will post more as soon as we receive word from the SAR team.



Posted by:

Lety Seibel

On Facebook

2012.11.15
 
                                                       Here is a picture from him:


This is going to be a blog about Thomas Seibold, a guide from the Teaching Drum Outdoor School.
He went missing in Alaska, a few weeks ago.
This Blog is going to be feeded by Facebook-Posts, from People who write about the search of him,
probably by any information which I can find in the internet too.
If you've any information, questions, etc. you can contact me at:

searchthomasseibold@gmail.com

I'm thinking about putting AdSense Ads on here, and sending the money which I make off it to the Teaching Drum Outdoor School, so they can use it for the search, if the state troopers give up.
You also can write me what you think about this idea.
I hope this would help.
You want to translate this blog?
Then contact me at the e-mail I've written more up.
Please like, comment, share etc.

Thank you

The Blogger