Thacher School Teens Found Safe

UPDATED: Tuesday, 2:15 p.m.
Missing Students Located

By Sondra Murphy
The Thacher School community experienced an anxious weekend after two boarding students failed to check into their dormitories Friday evening. George Nicholas Skan and Tyler Collins Cook were last seen between 7:30 and 9 p.m. Because neither student left clues on their computer and left their cell phones and wallets at school, the school went into high alert.
Both students were located safe Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Santa Barbara Airport, where, according to a Sheriff's Department press release, they were attempting to board an airplane to an undisclosed destination. "We are delighted they were found and are with their families, which is where they should be," said Thacher School headmaster Michael K. Mulligan. "A phone call was made by Tyler to her mother, who responded quickly, and they were found by virtue of good work by KEYT-TV." Cook and Skan were soon reunited with their worried families.
Little detail was available at press time. "This was one of those situations where we had to raise all the flags," said Mulligan. "I just spoke with them and their response was they decided to do this 'take-off road trip' without much thought. It's an example of the prefrontal cortex not being fully developed at this age."
The Thacher School issued a press release thanking all who participated in the search for the missing students. "The Thacher School, the Skans, and the Cooks would like to thank the Ventura County Sheriff's office for their tireless efforts and help, the countless Search and Rescue professionals who combed the backcountry by horseback, foot and air, and the Thacher faculty and students," read the press release. "Thacher and the students' parents are relieved and thankful that they are safe and healthy."
"Thanks to the help and attention focused on this by the news media," said Mulligan, "this matter has been brought to closure with the best outcome that anyone could have hoped for."
The school also expressed gratitude to the Ojai, Ventura and Santa Barbara communities "for their diligence, perseverance, and willingness to communicate information" on the students' disappearance.




UPDATED Monday, 4:05 p.m.
Missing Thacher students

By Sondra Murphy
A search is still under way for two boarding students of The Thacher School who last seen together Friday evening between 7:30 and 9 p.m. George Nicholas Skan is described as a white male, 16 years old, 6’1”, 170 pounds with brown hair and eyes. He has some bald patches in his hair, was last seen wearing a gray hoodie sweatshirt, red shirt, blue jeans and sneakers with the word “money” on them.
Tyler Collins Cook is described as a white female, 5’9”, 140 pounds, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a gray hat, blue and green poncho, brown turtleneck shirt, blue jeans with white paint on them and brown slippers. Her hair is brown but has sun streaks that may make her hair appear blonde.
At 10:30 Friday night, it was discovered that Skan and Cook, who are reportedly romantically involved, had not checked into their dormitories following an on-campus movie. Within 15 minutes, search parties mobilized across the campus and nearby trails on foot and horseback until 3 a.m. Saturday.
The search resumed at 6 a.m. Saturday with an extensive air and ground search involving sheriff’s helicopters, 44 urban search and rescue personnel, bloodhounds and volunteers.
“After a further daylight search, we called the police and made a missing minor report. That report is in the statewide system. Ventura County Search and Rescue will begin work in the backcountry shortly. In addition, Cam Schryver has organized a group of upper class riders to comb the adjacent trails,” wrote assistant head of school Peter G. Robinson in a Saturday letter for Thacher parents.
According to Thacher’s director of communications, Chris Land, the search in the area around Thacher uncovered no sign of either student by Sunday and the rescue aspect of the effort was called off, shifting the focus to the urban areas of Ojai, Ventura and beyond.
“The families have not heard anything from the students,” said Land. “There has been no cell phone activity and no bank card activity to help locate them. It has been alarmingly quiet.” He added that they have found no sign of pre-planning by either Skan or Cook to help in the search.
“Anyone at Thacher who might know anything about this has been interviewed,” said Land. “The focus of the search is now on transportation out of the valley.”
Thacher held a press conference Monday at 2 p.m. to distribute photos and give an update on the search efforts. Sherrif’s Capt. Ross Bonfiglio reported that search dogs followed the teenagers’ scents to Reeves Road and stopped. Bonfiglio speculated that Cook and Skan may have gotten into a car at that point.
Possible Monday morning sightings in the Dennison Park area “did not appear to be them,” according to Bonfiglio during the press conference.
Skan’s parents, Paul and Jean Skan, flew down from Alaska in time to attend Monday’s press conference. Paul Skan said his son is a “quiet kid.” Jean Skan called her son, “just a normal teenager.” Cook’s parents were on their way to Ojai during the press conference.
The Thacher School is a coeducational boarding high school located four miles east of the City of Ojai. The 425-acre campus abuts the Los Padres National Forrest and currently enrolls 215 boarding students and 20 day students from 26 states and nine countries.
Anyone who has seen the teenagers or has information on their whereabouts is urged to contact the 24-hour tip line at 654-2417.