Bigfooter Dies While Bigfooting

John Freitas shares the news that a close Bigfooting friend of his has passed away. Here is John’s tribute:

Manuel Solorio, better known as Manny as he liked to call himself, passed away this month doing what he loved; looking for Sasquatch.

Manny was a young 39-year-old full of life and vigor, born October 17, 1972. He was alone in the deep Pacific Northwest forest as he’s done 1000 times before, looking for Sasquatch. Manny would leave for two months at a time getting dropped off where roads end, then the hiking for miles and miles to areas seldom (if ever) visited by humans. He would take his cameras and videotape almost every minute of the day with the hope of catching a fleeting glance of Sasquatch.

Born in San Nicolas Jalisco, Mexico, as a child he moved to the Medford, Oregon area. He quickly became interested in the Sasquatch phenomenon while attending high school, and living so close to the Patterson film site, he dove headfirst into the research of this creature. Thus began his lifelong dream and journey of proving the existence of this elusive animal.

Manny spent many nights with researchers around the local area and participated in some large expeditions with myself (John Freitas), including “Operation Night Scream”. One very eventful evening while doing a live radio broadcast with me and James Fay (better known as Bobo on Animal Planet’s hit series Finding Bigfoot), he was fortunate enough to be involved in a bona fide Sasquatch sighting.

Manny unfortunately succumbed (apparently from a heart attack in his sleep) while out in the field alone. His body was found a month later.

Manny leaves behind his three children, his mother Maria Solorio, father Jose Solorio, and his sister Trina Solorio.

Manny was a true believer who refused to join any association or group and stayed away from political grumblings. He always kept an extremely positive attitude. Manny was someone that you could not have heard from for months, yet within the first 5 minutes of a phone call or visit, it was as though you just saw him yesterday. He would come to your rescue no matter what time of day or night and never think twice about it. He was one of a kind.

Manny was devoted to his family and his passion for Sasquatching. In one of the last conversations I had with him, he said he was going to spend the winter in the forest of the North Pacific, near Lake Creek in Jackson County Oregon. I voiced my concerns of the dangers and he said “It was all or nothing”: he was on a mission.

For all that knew him, Manny’s stories, humor and his friendship will be forever missed. He was a true friend, comrade, and genuine researcher in the field of Bigfoot.

Manny’s funeral was held on Friday 24th of February 2012 in Oregon. All his Bigfoot friends who were able attended.

Loren Coleman About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct). Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015. Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

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