Where are Jonas Bare and Cynthia Hovespian? Tennessee couple reported missing on Alaskan vacation
FAIR BANKS, ALASKA: A search is underway for a missing Tennessee couple in Alaska since last week. Alaska State Troopers have joined the search for the couple who went missing on August 12 after failing to check out of their vacation rental the day before.
Jonas Bare and Cynthia Hovsepian had not returned to the rental, and their luggage was discovered at their Airbnb in Fairbanks' downtown area, according to police. They have not communicated with their families.
Fairbanks Police later found the couple's rental vehicle at Chena Hot Springs Resort, a popular destination about 60 miles outside of Fairbanks.
Who are Jonas Bare and Cynthia Hovsepian?
Jonas Bare, 50, and Cynthia Hovsepian, 37 are the couple who went missing. They had rented a dark metallic blue Jeep Compass Limited through Turo and it was due back on August 11, according to police.
There are no license plates on the vehicle, only a temporary tag with the number T119055.
For days, troopers have been canvassing Alaska's interior with helicopters, small unmanned aircraft systems, ATVs, professional search and rescue teams, and K9 units.
When was the couple last seen?
The duo was last seen on August 10 on a hiking trail near the popular resort in Fairbanks, a city with a population of more than 30,000. According to an Alaska State Troopers missing person bulletin, Hovsepian is blind and occassionally walks with a cane. Bare is 5 feet 9 inches tall and has brown eyes and hair. According to the authorities, Hovsepian is 5-foot-6 with blonde hair and green eyes, as reported by New York Post.
Bare's recent Facebook posts show his excitement about the couple's Alaska trip, which appeared to be for his 50th birthday. He wrote that he was celebrating his 50th birthday by visiting his 50th state.
Bare wrote about preparing to leave for base camp the following morning in an eerie post shared on August 8, just a few days before the couple vanished.
He wrote. "If a Kodiak gets me, I'll consider that an honorable death." According to the post, he was "not going to get lost like I did 10 years ago in Australia and the Katoomba Range.."
Bare's most recent post was a photo of Denali National Park in Alaska with the caption "View from room" and a heart-eyed emoji. Family and friends have expressed their concern in the comment sections of the couple's social media pages.
The resort boasts several miles of hiking trails of varying difficulty throughout the area. Still, it warns that there is no cellphone reception on the tracks, getting lost is easy, and bear or moose encounters are possible, as per reports.
Fairbanks police requested assistance from Alaska State Troopers in searching the area with helicopters, ATVs, search and rescue teams, and dogs.