Paul Head Vanished From a Campsite Near Dinky Creek
Paul Head, age 32, disappeared during a camping trip with a friend/acquaintance in the Sierra National Forest. Paul worked as a breakfast chef at the Big Sky Café in San Luis Obispo. His colleagues described him as pleasant, intelligent, friendly—just an all‑around good guy.
On September 9th, 1999, Paul told his family he was heading out for a camping trip that evening. He was never seen by them again.
The Night Paul Head Disappeared
Paul didn’t know his camping partner well, but apparently felt comfortable enough to spend a night in the wilderness with him. According to the friend, the two spent the evening drinking alcohol and smoking weed before eventually running out of booze and going to sleep.
In the early hours of September 10th, the friend says he woke to Paul shouting, throwing items out of his tent, and acting erratically. Feeling scared, the friend stepped away from the tent.
Paul then reportedly removed his shoes and pants, leaving only underwear and a sweatshirt, and ran into the woods.
This was near Dinky Creek.
The friend searched briefly, then returned to camp expecting Paul to come back. When he didn’t, the friend panicked, left the area, and reported the incident to police.
Search for Paul Head
Authorities launched an extensive search using:
- air teams
- ground teams
- underwater divers
Despite the scale of the operation, nothing was ever found—no clothing, no tracks, no remains, no personal items. It was as if Paul had never been there at all.
Police have never ruled out any possibility, including foul play, but there was no sign of a struggle, no blood, and no physical evidence at the campsite.
The case remains unsolved.
Vanished.us Says
This case immediately brings to mind Terrance Woods, who also ran into the wilderness suddenly and was never seen again. There’s a pattern here—people who bolt into the woods in a moment of panic or confusion and simply vanish. This case is also extremely close to the Robert Willis case.
I’m adding a new tag for these cases: Spontaneously Runaway.
But Paul’s case raises questions:
- Was his friend telling the truth?
- Was Paul experiencing a psychological episode?
- Did something frighten him?
- Why was nothing ever found—not even clothing?
Running into the forest half‑naked should have left a trail. Instead, Paul Head stepped into the dark and disappeared.
Another case where the forest swallowed someone whole.