MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF. — After an exhaustive search by the Civil Air Patrol, sophisticated analysis of satellite images and a year of uncertainty, it finally came down to this: A lone hiker and his dog.
On Thursday, 43-year-old Preston Morrow was weary. He had done more than 30 interviews with reporters from around the world, all eager to know how he stumbled on the clues that led searchers to the wreckage of adventurer Steve Fossett's single-engine plane as well as a bone fragment that might be human.
At the cozy A-frame that houses Kittredge Sports, the tall, blond salesman-manager admitted he was a little flummoxed by all the attention. His dog -- an Australian shepherd mix named Kona -- sat at his feet, taking it all in stride.
"This is beyond the realm of anything imaginable," Morrow said. "I personally don't like it, but I will say I'm happy I found what I found."
What he found Monday in Red's Meadow, a tough alpine landscape at an elevation of about 9,700 feet, were three identification cards peeking out of a blanket of pine needles. Along with them were 10 $100 bills and a $5 bill, all bleached pale green by the sun.
The documents, which included a pilot's license from the Federal Aviation Administration, belonged to Fossett, the daring 63-year-old tycoon who vanished on a solo pleasure flight from a Nevada ranch in September 2007.
Morrow was singled out for praise Thursday by Fossett's widow, Peggy, who expressed hope that the discovery would allow her to "bring to closure a very painful chapter in my life."
In a statement, she said: "I especially want to thank Preston Morrow, who made this discovery and turned over Steve's belongings to the authorities. I am anxious to learn of the circumstances and cause of this tragic accident from the official report of the NTSB."
The day began with an announcement by Madera County Sheriff John Anderson that the wreckage had been found by aerial crews late Wednesday night about a quarter of a mile from the spot where Morrow found the ID cards.
"The crash looked to be so severe that I doubt someone would have walked away from it," Anderson said.
Later Wednesday, Anderson said a piece of bone had been found, taken to the Madera County coroner and forwarded to a California Department of Justice lab for analysis. Whether it was human or animal was unclear, he said.
