Rich Germeau became a “sasquatch” believer in July of 2000 and not by his own choice. He had always been interested in the topic but thought it was unreasonable for something as a giant hairy biped to be roaming Earth.

It was not until an early evening in July 2000, while he was working as a police officer heading down a coastal highway in Washington State when his life would change. A giant hairy human biped stepped out of the brush approximately fifty meters ahead of his patrol car onto the roadway, and with a sense of purpose, took four steps across the road and disappeared into the brush on the opposite side. Rich slammed on the breaks and just sat in his car in the middle of the road while the event flashed before his eyes. His mind was replaying it, trying to rationalize or make some sense of what he had just seen. He was definitely not prepared to process such a reality, but reality was most definitely what it was. It was daylight and he was far too close for misidentification. Before that sighting, Rich had enjoyed the wilderness of the northwest with a sense of comfort with the knowledge that he was the apex predator and that there was nothing else in the woods with intelligence like ours, he was most definitely wrong about that.

After the sighting of the biped, Rich’s world changed. He was always reserved about his experience but would talk about it if asked, knowing that he risked being ridiculed, like many others who have endured the same for talking about what they’ve seen.

In 2008 Rich met Derek Randles and with the help of Wally Hersom started a camera trap project called “The Olympic Project.” The goal was to obtain photographic evidence of the elusive sasquatch within the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The following summer Rich and friend/OP co-member “shaky,” managed to accomplish that in the Hamma Hamma drainage of the Olympic Mountains when a sasquatch walked in-front/around one of the game cameras and was thankfully able to verify it via DNA evidence. Rich has also collected multiple hair samples and a saliva sample, which were part of the Bigfoot DNA study and facilitated many other specimens.

Rich never wanted to be a “Bigfoot researcher,” even after his first sighting, he was happy enough being a credible witness. But at the time of the sighting, the opportunity became available and Rich felt that he was somehow obligated to other witnesses, due to his investigative experience and abilities.

At that time Rich had been a detective at a western Washington sheriff’s office for a few years and had 14 years total law enforcement experience, experience and training that few people get opportunity in life which is invaluable in Bigfoot related investigations. Although Rich is not objective regarding the existence of this elusive large, hairy human, he is an objective investigator who can relate to witnesses and they can trust his investigative abilities.

Three months ago Rich stepped away from the Olympic Project as he felt that the organization had different goals than he. Rich believes that NABS has goals which more closely reflect his own and thinks he could be an asset moving forward.

NABS has had an ongoing relationship with Rich over the last several years and appreciates the professionalism and experience that he brings to our research arena. NABS is extremely lucky to have Rich Germeau join our organization.