Arkansas man who disappeared with his ailing dog had terminal illness, believed to have died by suicide ‘in the sea’

A man who disappeared with his ailing dog in the Outer Banks was silently coping with a terminal illness and is believed to have taken his life “in the sea,” his heartbroken father said as he called for authorities to suspend all search efforts.

Christopher Palmer, 39, vanished off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina in early January. His truck was found on a beach on Jan. 12, three days after he last made contact with his family, according to the National Park Service.

Swaths of volunteers from near and far, including a crew with the United Cajun Navy, turned out to help scour the area for any signs of Palmer and his dog, an 11-year-old German shepherd named Zoey.

On Jan. 24, Palmer’s father, Bren, concluded that his son had tragically “perished at sea,” likely by his own volition.

“We recently learned that Christopher was facing a terminal illness. Knowing this has helped us understand the choices he made. Christopher loved the outdoors and valued his independence. The treatments ahead would have taken much of that away, and he did not want that future for himself,” Bren explained in a heartwrenching post on Facebook.

“We are deeply proud of the man Christopher was, and we hope his story brings awareness to the emotional and mental burdens people can face during serious medical challenges,” he added.

It’s not clear what illness Palmer was diagnosed with, or what his prognosis was.

In a separate post, Bren said that volunteers found evidence that Zoey was laid to rest in a shallow grave in the woods before Palmer continued his final journey to the coast. He noted that the elderly dog “was very sick” and “took several medications” for various ailments, including “[severe] hip dysplasia.”

“[It’s] our belief that our son spent some time in the woods to be with her in her final days,” Bren wrote.

Palmer and Zoey had been camping in the Great Smoky Mountains and were in regular contact with the rest of his family until Jan. 9. It’s unclear when Zoey passed, or when Palmer set out to sea.

Palmer’s truck was last seen on security footage with a blue and white kayak hitched to the back. When police came across Palmer’s truck, the kayak was gone.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.