Washington state authorities said two Oregon men were found dead Saturday after they ventured deep into the woods to look for Sasquatch.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said the bodies of a 59-year-old man and a 37-year-old man, both from Portland, were found in a heavily wooded area in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest following an expansive three-day search.

“Both deaths appear to be due to exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness,” the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities said a family member first reported the men missing around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day after the pair failed to return home by Christmas Eve.

The sheriff’s office said a traffic camera flagged the men’s vehicle near Willard, Washington. More than 60 volunteers and rescue personnel began scouring the area by their last known location with the help of dogs, drones and a plane from the Coast Guard.

Rescue teams eventually found the men’s bodies after enduring freezing weather, snow and rain, and traversing densely wooded terrain.

“The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the loved ones lost in this tragic incident,” police said in a statement.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.