With heavy hearts and profound sorrow, we, the family of Christopher Palmer, have made the difficult decision to request that all active search efforts for our son cease

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.

Personal belongings of Christopher’s were found along the coastline, and our family believes our son perished in the sea. As heartbreaking as this is, we have found a measure of peace in that understanding.

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.

We would like to thank the United Cajun Navy and every volunteer, first responder, and community member who searched for our son. It has been profoundly humbling to see so many people care for someone they never met. Our family is at peace and asks that Christopher’s memory and the safety of others be respected as we seek closure.

This will the only time I comment on Christophers beloved Zoey. This for those that dont know him or us that have been speculating. She was a beautiful well behaved 11 year old German Shepard that he loved. She has been by his side since she was a puppy. Zoey was very sick took several medications and also had sever hip dysplasia. Its our belief that our son spent some time in the woods to be with her in her final days. Evidence of that was a shovel found in his truck and after her passing he laid her to rest and continued his trip to the coast. We thank everyone for their concern and prayers for Zoey.