Thomas Seibold was last seen at a fish camp near Ambler, Alaska, on September 29, 2012. A skilled survivalist and former instructor at the Teaching Drum Outdoor School, Seibold had been traveling solo through the Alaskan wilderness since beginning his journey in southeastern Alaska. By September, he reached the northwest Alaska village of Ambler and then traveled 30 miles up the Ambler River to stay with a woman and her 13-year-old son, connected through Tamarack Song, the founder of the Teaching Drum Outdoor School. Seibold may have left the cabin to travel farther north into Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. It is believed he left the camp by canoe, which was later found abandoned on the west side of the Ambler River. His plan was to hike over 25 miles to Kobuk, then fly to Fairbanks by November 15, 2012, before returning to Wisconsin. However, he missed his scheduled flight.